Red Bull’s outspoken advisor Helmut Marko insists Ferrari make mistakes when put under ‘REAL pressure’ after Charles Leclerc’s spin at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix cost him points in his title fight with Max Verstappen
- Max Verstappen led home a Red Bull one-two at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix
- Charles Leclerc was on to finish third before a costly late spin pushed him back
- After pitting his Ferrari for a new nose, he fought his way up to a sixth place
- Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko said it was a sign they mistakes under pressure
Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has dismissed Ferrari’s chances of beating them in a development battle and believes the Italian team ‘make mistakes’ when put under ‘real pressure’.
Max Verstappen closed the gap to championship leader Charles Leclerc to 27 points after winning the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, as well as Saturday’s Sprint Race.
Leclerc was attempting to put pressure on Verstappen’s team-mate Sergio Perez for second, when he spun into the wall and was lucky to continue – clawing his way back up to sixth.
Max Verstappen led Sergio Perez in a Red Bull one-two on Ferrari’s home turf at the weekend
A costly spin from Charles Leclerc lost him points in the title battle with the 2021 champion
When asked about Ferrari’s chances of beating Red Bull in the development race this season, Marko told Sky Sports News: ‘I don’t think so.
‘And what we saw was if we put real pressure on, they’re making mistakes.
‘You could see it, Leclerc spun in Friday twice, (Carlos) Sainz spun and Leclerc again.’
It was a costly weekend for Ferrari who had taken advantage of Red Bull’s early season mechanical reliability woes.
Helmut Marko said the Emilia Romagna GP showed Ferrari make mistakes under pressure
Marko also believes Ferrari won’t be able to keep up with Red Bull in the development race
For the second race in the row, Sainz was out before the end of the first lap after he was taken out by the McLaren of Daniel Ricciardo.
Leclerc had been faultless this season up until the race at Imola, with his mistake throwing away seven points in what promises to be an epic championship fight between the Monegasque and Verstappen.
For Red Bull, it was their first one-two since 2016 after bringing upgrades to Imola, and it was a result made even sweeter on their rival’s home turf.
It was a costly weekend for Ferrari who also saw Carlos Sainz retire after a collision on Lap 1
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner was more sympathetic to Leclerc’s woes during the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
He said: ‘Charles has driven brilliantly this year. You can see he was very aggressive at that chicane all the way through the race and he was trying to get into Checo’s (Perez) DRS.
‘Unfortunately it bit him and he was lucky not to damage the car more.’
Leclerc admitted that he went ‘over the limit’ in his pursuit of Red Bull driver Perez.
He said: ‘I gave it my all, but went over the limit at the end. Sorry to the team and to all the tifosi who support us. We’ll come back stronger.’
