Helmut Marko sends warning to Ferrari after Max Verstappen’s Australian GP disaster
Max Verstappen’s near perfect start to the 2024 F1 season came to a halt on Sunday, as he was forced to retire in the opening laps of the Australian GP. The Dutchman started from pole position, and was able to fend off early pressure from Carlos Sainz to maintain the lead after Turn 1.
However, towards the halfway mark of the second lap, Max Verstappen complained of his breaks being loose. Carlos Sainz capitalized on the same, and made a quick pass on the reigning champion who could hardly offer any resistance. Just a couple of seconds later, there were signs of smoke coming out from his right rear break which meant that he had to retire his car.
Carlos Sainz led a Ferrari 1-2, as the Spanaird claimed his third win in Formula One. Max Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez could manage to finish only P5, as the Italian side has reduced the deficit in Constructors championship to only 10 points. However, Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has fired a warning to Ferrari, as the action moves to Japan in a couple of weeks.
“The outcome would have been completely different” : Helmut Marko on Verstappen’s retirement
Helmut Marko stated that the outcome of the race would have been very different if Max Verstappen was not forced to retire. He stated that the Dutchman was able to match Carlos Sainz’s pace in the second lap despite facing issues with his brake.
âI spoke to Max and he said that despite the problems, he kept up with Sainzâs pace relatively easily,â Marko told Sky Germany. “With Max in the race, the outcome would have been completely different.â
âWe donât know exactly yet, but already on the lap when Sainz overtook him, the brake didnât release. In addition, he got slightly sideways and Sainz overtook him as a result. As a result, the brake got completely stuck and we are very glad that not everything caught fire. We need to evaluate the exact cause,” he added.
Max Verstappen still sits on top of the Drivers Championship with 51 points in three races. The Dutchman will look to extend his lead at the Suzuka Circuit in two weeks from now. The three-time champion has won the two previous Japanese GP’s, winning by 19 seconds in 2023, and 27 seconds in 2022.
