Helmut Marko apparently does not expect that the fight for the world title in Formula 1 in 2022 could result in a serious duel between his two drivers Max Verstappen and Sergio Pérez: “When it comes to pure speed, the races are mostly Max the Faster,” says the Red Bull motorsport consultant in an interview on the “Formel1.de” YouTube channel (recorded before Baku).
Pérez was just 15 points adrift of Verstappen after winning the Monaco Grand Prix, raising hopes among his fans for the first time that he could have a realistic chance this season against the team-mate who has so far been overwhelming. And after Monaco, Pérez was also faster than Verstappen in qualifying in Baku.
The world champion struggles with the Red Bull RB18, which tends to understeer more than the previous model: “I see that ‘Checo’ feels more comfortable than last year,” says Verstappen. “Personally, a stronger front axle would be more important to me. That’s what we’re working towards.”
“I wouldn’t say I’m fundamentally uncomfortable with these new cars. But they’re so heavy, long and wide that I would wish for a car that was more agile in steering and cornering faster.”
Pérez: Already more qualifiers won than in 2021
That is important, especially in qualifying, in 2021 still a discipline in which Pérez did not have the slightest chance against Verstappen (20: 2 for Verstappen; current score is 5: 3): “You can simply get more out of qualifying if you do it right can push. I can’t do that at the moment. But it’s not that dramatic either,” says Verstappen.
After all, he has won five of the eight Grands Prix so far, plus the F1 Sprint at Imola. “That’s more than a year ago at the time. So it’s not that bad. It’s just about fine-tuning small things,” says Verstappen, who in his world championship year 2021 after eight race weekends has six points more but one win less had than 2022.
Marko: Without failures, Verstappen would be much further up
“Verstappen,” says Helmut Marko, “didn’t see the finish line twice. That would have been second place in each case. Pérez would have been fourth in all races had it gone normally. Now take these 18 points and that would be the gap significantly larger […]. But that doesn’t change the fact that Perez is having a great season.”
Despite the five victories, the RB18 is still not “as Max would like it to be”, says Marko and explains: “He needs a very strong front axle. If the rear axle breaks out at 250, where everyone else gets nervous… Max doesn’t even notice that! Our car is more neutral, maybe a bit more good-natured. That’s something that bothers him.”
In Baku it was still enough for an ultimately superior victory, more than 20 seconds before Pérez. The fact that Pérez was faster in qualifying but his tires deteriorated earlier in the race could also be due to different set-ups. Verstappen was therefore beaten below his value on Saturday, according to Red Bull.
Pérez: Everything is easier in the second year
But there is no getting around the fact that Pérez is more competitive than it was a year ago. The Mexican himself explains it like this: “Last year we had rules that have been the same for years. Those who have been in their teams for a long time had an advantage with the set-ups.”
“It was difficult for me to adapt to the new vehicle philosophy and to get the most out of it because it required a very unique driving style. It took a while to implement it. At the end of the season I was able to cope with it to some extent, but it took too long. That we now everyone started from scratch was a good chance,” says Pérez.
“For me in particular, this is my second season at Red Bull. It makes everything much easier and better. I know my engineers, I know the people I work with. It’s a big step. And I feel I feel comfortable in the car and I manage to get the most out of it,” says the World Championship runner-up (21 points behind Verstappen).