Helmut Marko claims Red Bull has cut into Mercedes’ advantage after finishing a second behind in FP1 in the United States.
After placing considerably behind competitor Mercedes earlier in the day, Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko believes the team “obviously” taken a step forward between Friday practice sessions in the United States.
Mercedes lapped a second faster than Max Verstappen during FP1, however that gap was significantly reduced as the day went on.
Sergio Perez took first place in second practice, while teammate Max Verstappen had to settle with eighth after hitting traffic.
Although Marko expects a difficult weekend, he believes the gap to Mercedes isn’t as large as previously thought.
“Mercedes are very fast, no question, but we clearly took a step forward from the first practice to the second,” Marko said.
“The gap of almost one second in the first practice has clearly shrunk. The long runs were also satisfactory.
“It’s going to be a tough race this weekend, but it’s not as clear on the Mercedes side as you thought before.”
During FP2, Verstappen and Hamilton got into an on-track scrap, with the Red Bull driver giving Hamilton the middle finger.
Marko wasn’t startled by the incident because it wasn’t the first time the two championship rivals got in each other’s way.
“We’ve had that a lot during the season. That the two of them won’t go to dinner together more often, we know that anyway. But I think it’s unnecessary,” Marko concluded.
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