Formula 1

Marko criticizes FIA’s decision-making and cites safety risks in Melbourne race

Published

2 months ago

03/04/2023

Marko criticizes FIA decision making in Melbourne race F1 2023

Red Bull’s motorsport advisor, Helmut Marko, speaks out on Verstappen’s win, Perez’s struggles, and FIA’s decisions in the tumultuous Australian Grand Prix. Marko also highlights Red Bull’s rivals’ improvements and safety concerns.

Marko expressed his admiration for Max Verstappen and voiced criticism towards the FIA following a tumultuous race that was ultimately won by Red Bull in Australia. While Verstappen secured first place at the Grand Prix, Red Bull failed to achieve a double win for the first time this season, as Checo, starting from the pit lane due to his incident during qualifying, only managed to climb to 5th place.

According to Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko, this outcome is a sign that Red Bull’s rivals have started to close the gap.

He stated that the tiniest mistake highlights how close the competition is. Despite claiming to have an advantage over others, it only holds true when everything runs smoothly.

Marko also added that Aston Martin, Ferrari, and Mercedes have significantly improved, and this could be due to the track conditions or their enhanced understanding of the car. He further stated that the coming month would reveal more about their progress.

Marko expressed satisfaction with Verstappen’s cautious start to the race. The Dutchman may have even been too careful at the beginning, but he was able to pass Lewis Hamilton relatively easily later on.

“Max did what he had to do in those early battles. Mercedes had nothing to lose, so they went for it. After passing Hamilton, Max controlled the race. And you know, when he and Lewis get close, Max is cautious. He was right not to take all the risks because he’s aiming for the championship,” Marko explained.

Regarding Perez, Marko still believes that the Mexican “created his own problems here. He overdrove in Q1 and paid the price in the race. He made a good comeback, he couldn’t have hoped for much better, I think.”

Marko criticized the FIA’s handling of the race in Melbourne. He called the decisions of the race stewards, who waved the red flag three times, “borderline”.

Furthermore, he observed safety risks for the drivers due to the low tire temperatures.

“The safety car was driving very slowly, too slow every time. As a result, the tires cooled down. The chaotic restart in the final stages of the race is also due to this. And there were different tire compounds. Some had a new set of soft tires, while others had already worn tires. I think this is partly the reason why there were so many collisions. They could have used a virtual safety car for the last two laps,” Marko elaborated.

Verstappen was on his way to an uncontested victory, but the last restart could have put his win in jeopardy.

Marko explained that it was challenging due to two suboptimal starts, but fortunately, the third restart, which was decisive, worked out.

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