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Helmut Marko had considerable praise for Max Verstappen following the Dutchman’s unexpected Emilia Romagna Grand Prix pole position.
Red Bull advisor Dr. Helmut Marko praised Max Verstappen’s magical pole position at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix after a challenging Friday for the team. Red Bull struggled on Friday, seeming off the pace of Ferrari and McLaren. Despite a lackluster performance in third practice on Saturday, Verstappen managed to secure a stunning pole position, matching Ayrton Senna’s record for eight consecutive poles and Alain Prost’s record for seven poles in a season. Marko was amazed by Verstappen’s performance, admitting they needed a magical lap to compete with McLaren and Ferrari. While Verstappen excelled, Sergio Perez faced elimination in Q2, starting 11th on the grid as the lowest Red Bull driver. Despite Perez’s struggles, Yuki Tsunoda impressed by qualifying in seventh. Perez’s Q2 exit was attributed to being caught off guard by the grip difference between fresh and used soft tires. Marko acknowledged Perez’s unfortunate qualifying but emphasized the need for improvement without ridicule.
