Marko explains why Verstappen was slower than Norris in FP2

19 July at 17:56

Helmut Marko was initially sceptical about the updates that Red Bull Racing brought to the Hungaroring. However, after the first two free practice sessions on Friday, the package seems to have had a positive effect on the RB20's performance. Speaking to GPblog, Marko analyses Red Bull's Friday in Hungary.

Marko was not sure what to expect from Red Bull's latest update package, as not all updates have been equally successful for the Austrian Formula 1 team so far. "I said it had to work because the last three didn't have nearly any effect," Red Bull's advisor told GPblog.

Marko:'McLaren on full power and we were not'

The biggest difference between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris, who was faster than the Dutchman in the second free practice, was due to a difference in engine power, according to Marko. "The engine mode of the McLaren was on full power and we didn't have full power," the 81-year-old Austrian explained.

Marko therefore suspects that Red Bull currently has the fastest car - at least in the long runs. "Yes, the long runs were very consistent. Max was always on a 24.1 and was stable. All his laps were in this region while the others were going higher and higher." Marko said.