Marko: The disparity in performance between Red Bull and Mercedes
Tuesday, 26 April 2022
The one-two was a critical result.
Red Bull team advisor Helmut Marko could not help but add insult to injury following the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix on Sunday, suggesting Lewis Hamilton should have retired at the end of last season.
The seven-time Formula 1® world champion finished out of the points in 13th position at Imola and to compound the misery, was lapped by rival Max Verstappen, who went on to win the race in a one-two for Red Bull.
Mercedes have struggled to come to grips with porpoising as a result of new regulations this season, but Hamilton's form is in stark contrast to that of team-mate George Russell, who sits 21 points ahead in the driver's standings and finished fourth on Sunday.
When asked how Hamilton might be feeling after Imola, Marko could not resist.
"I mean, he was lapped by us, so I don't know," Marko told Sky Sports F1. "Maybe he is thinking he should have stopped last year,"
Verstappen played down the gravity of Hamilton being lapped, however, saying it's a natural consequence of the disparity in performance between the Red Bull and Mercedes packages.
"They've been slow all year so for me it's not really anything exciting, it just happens," he said.
Verstappen's win at Imola was an assured drive, the Dutchman untroubled from pole to finish. With Carlos Sainz out on the opening lap, Red Bull were able to put second-placed Sergio Perez on a different strategy to force Ferrari's hand with championship leader Charles Leclerc.
The reigning world champion moved to second place in the driver's standings on 59 points, 27 points behind Leclerc, who recovered from a spin on lap 53 to finish sixth.
Marko asserted the one-two was a critical result from the standpoints of team morale and the championship, following DNFs in Bahrain and Australia.
"It was very important after our problems in Bahrain and Australia from the engine side…another one-two, the last one was 2016 in Malaysia," Marko said.
"It was about time, for the morale and everything it's more than important. It showed that we are competitive, we just have to get the package together and then we are there.
"There are so many races coming, the important thing is that we have such a strong package, so the championship will be very exciting but hopefully it doesn't go the last race like last year."
"Maybe he should've stopped last year" 😉
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) April 25, 2022
Helmut Marko's response to Lewis Hamilton being lapped by Max Verstappen at Imola 👇 pic.twitter.com/YwjiNsZLp5
