P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Helmut Marko has addressed Max Verstappen’s underwhelming sprint qualifying result at the Qatar Grand Prix, whilst providing some context for the issue the Dutchman experienced.
Red Bull adviser Helmut Marko has acknowledged the issue the RB21 faces with the soft tyre at the Qatar Grand Prix, particularly affecting Max Verstappen during sprint qualifying. Verstappen ended up sixth-fastest in the grid-setting session, next to Yuki Tsunoda who was marginally quicker. This marked the first time Verstappen was outperformed by his team-mate in qualifying since Tsunoda replaced Liam Lawson mid-season. Complaints from Verstappen about clipping at Turn 6 during practice continued into qualifying, with bouncing on the soft tyre causing him to run off track and damage his car. Marko emphasized the challenge Red Bull and Verstappen face with the soft tyre and the need to address this weakness before the main qualifying session. Despite the difficulties, Marko expressed hope that the team can resolve the issue and improve for the upcoming sessions in Qatar.
