Helmut Marko offers explanation for Max Verstappen qualifying defeat

Helmut Marko was satisfied with Max Verstappen's lap in qualifying but attributed the loss of pole position to tire preparation. The entire Canadian GP weekend has been marred by rain interruptions. The qualifying session also had spells of rain, even though the drivers continued to operate on slick tires.

In Q3, it came down to who would be able to prepare their tires best. As it turned out, George Russell and Lewis Hamilton were the first to set their benchmark times early in the session. In the second run, neither George nor Lewis were able to improve. For Max Verstappen, the second run saw him find a chunk of time but his lap time would be identical to what George had set earlier and hence the Red Bull driver will start the race in P2.

Talking to Sky Germany after qualifying, Helmut Marko was quite positive about the session and said that he was happy to see the team make improvements after every session, unlike Monaco, where the team was not able to make improvements. Talking about Max Verstappen only getting P2, his second loss in qualifying this season, Marko ascribed it to tire preparation, and said (as quoted by RacingNews365),

"I think we can be satisfied with this result, especially after the events in the second free practice. It was about how you warm up your tyres and I think the warm-up lap in Q3 was just too fast."

He added,

“Max lost pole position in the third sector against Russell. But we showed that we improved gradually, unlike Monaco."

Marko hopes race pace aids Max Verstappen's bid for win

Looking ahead to the race, Helmut Marko pointed out that Red Bull trailed the Mercedes duo by 2-3 kph on the straights. This could impact the ability to overtake the car, even though he hoped Max Verstappen could have an advantage on race pace. He said (as quoted by RacingNews365),

"We got rid of weaknesses and I also think we have a good set-up for the race, even if it rains. The Mercedes is two to three kilometres per hour faster on the straights. That means overtaking is possible, but also that it won't be easy."

He added,

“I hope our tyre wear in the race might be a little less and Max, meanwhile, can read a race very well. He knows when to attack and how fast he can go without overloading the tyres. I hope we are competing at the front."

Max Verstappen was on an 8-race pole position streak that ended in Monaco. This is just his second defeat in qualifying this season, and the driver would be hoping to get a better run in the race.