Pérez's Unpredictable Hungary Weekend: Marko Speaks

Marko calls Pérez’s Hungary race ‘typical,’ highlighting the unpredictable highs and lows of the weekend.

Helmut Marko commented on Sergio Pérez’s weekend in Hungary, during which the Mexican driver complicated matters with a crash in qualifying. The Red Bull advisor did not mince words, acknowledging that such roller coaster performances had somewhat become the hallmark of his driver.

“A typical Perez GP weekend, I would say: unpredictable,” stated Marko. “Very strong on Friday, just behind Verstappen and with the best long runs of all drivers, then unfortunately a foolish mistake in qualifying, resulting in a 16th place start on the grid, followed by a very strong race up to seventh place.”

“There are only highs and lows with him. No one knows when he will excel or when he will make a mistake. There’s just no consistent performance. Max’s lead in the drivers’ championship is still 76 points.”

“In the constructors’ championship, McLaren has closed the gap to 51 points. Verstappen’s lead over Norris is almost the equivalent of three race wins, which is sufficient, even reassuring. We need to perform consistently and be able to win again on our own merits.”

“Defending the drivers’ title will certainly be less challenging than the constructors’ trophy, as McLaren continues to score points with both drivers ahead. That’s our main issue: we’ve scored far too few points with Checo Perez in the recent races.”

Ralf Schumacher was harsh on Pérez, suggesting that Red Bull should now drop Pérez and replace him for the end of the season: “How many times do I have to repeat it? I don’t know how long Red Bull is prepared to watch and put up with this.”

“I think there’s no reason anymore. And Perez knows it himself. The damage, we don’t even need to talk about it. Red Bull has so many drivers. It needs to stop. It really needs to end his suffering. I’m sorry. It’s a disaster for him too.”