HELMUT MARKO ADMITS: SOFT TIRES DEFEAT MAX VERSTAPPEN; SOLUTION PENDING
Helmut Marko reveals Red Bull's soft-tire issues after Max Verstappen's P6 in Qatar sprint qualifying. The team is scrambling for a fix ahead of the main Grand Prix.
Helmut Marko has shed light on Max Verstappen's difficulties during sprint qualifying in Qatar. The big question is whether Red Bull Racing can fix the issue before the main race.
"The changes we tried clearly didn't solve the problem," said Marko.
Verstappen ended up sixth in sprint qualifying in Qatar, following a session filled with struggles for the Dutch driver. He showed good pace in SQ1 and SQ2, but on the soft tyres in SQ3, things didn't click, similar to what happened in free practice.
It’s the soft tyres, Marko told GPblog after the session. We were competitive on the medium tyres, and on the hard tyres, much like in P1, we were also strong. The changes we made didn't fix our issue with the soft tyres.”
“They worked better on Yuki's car. Yuki gained a tenth on the first corner. Max wanted more front-end grip, while Yuki wanted more rear-end grip. That turned out to be a better direction.”
“Luckily, it's just the Sprint, and for Saturday, we need to address our weakness on the soft tyres.
Verstappen's Qatar Issues
When asked if Verstappen experienced any bouncing on the mediums, Marko replied, No.
This suggests the issue isn't related to ride height, as it was in Mexico. No, we didn't have bouncing on the medium tyres. The ride height remained the same for both tyre types, of course. We need to figure out why this occurred.
The soft tyres may see little to no use during the Sprint and the Grand Prix. When asked if Red Bull can be competitive in those sessions, Marko said, I think we will be more competitive, but overtaking is really tough here.
It looks like it'll be another Red Bull weekend where they need to find improvements from Friday to Saturday and then again from Saturday to Sunday. Their biggest advantage is the small gaps between teams, keeping Marko optimistic.
“The field is very close, and everyone is performing differently. There's Mercedes, and there's still Alonso. A lot can happen.”
When asked again if Verstappen’s bouncing problem can be fixed, Marko concluded, “We hope we can fix it.”
GEORGE RUSSELL ADMITS ANTONELLI IS "EXCEPTIONALLY QUICK" BUT REFUSES TO CONCEDE TITLE
Kimi Antonelli secured his 3rd straight F1 win in Miami, leaving George Russell 43 seconds behind and 20 points down in the title race. (130 chars)
George Russell isn’t flinching. He’s not ready to let go of the story, even as Kimi Antonelli keeps grabbing headlines. Antonelli’s been tearing it up this season – three straight wins, all from pole – and it’s got people talking. Miami was rough for Russell; he finished fourth, over 43 seconds behind Antonelli. That gap isn’t just big; it’s glaring, and it’s putting some real heat on their rivalry at Mercedes.
Russell isn’t pretending things are fine, but he’s not throwing in the towel either. He gets what Antonelli’s doing and gives props where they’re deserved. “He’s a fantastic driver, and he’s been fast since day one,” Russell said. “You don’t win all those championships as a kid if you’re not quick.” He means it, but he’s also drawing a boundary. Russell still believes in himself, and he’s not giving up on the championship.
“I’ve still got confidence in myself, and I haven’t forgotten how to drive,” he said with a little smile. “It’s just a tricky patch, but we’re only four races in; there’s a lot more to come. We’ll sort things out over the next few weeks.”
That “tricky patch” doesn’t just mean some tough luck; it includes a 20-point deficit and a teammate who won’t stop rewriting history. Antonelli’s winning streak has changed the vibe at Mercedes, at least for now.
Russell knows all about momentum and how it doesn’t always stick around. “He’s got momentum right now; he’s flying,” Russell admitted. “But I’ve won championships myself, and I know momentum swings back and forth all year.” He actually doesn’t seem bothered by the points gap. “Honestly, I’m not even thinking about it,” he said.
It’s a calm answer from a guy who’s been here before, leaning on experience while Antonelli rides his hot streak. Russell keeps saying 'big picture, patience, not panic'.
“I just want to get back on top of the podium,” he said. “I had the pace for the first three races, but this weekend I was nowhere close. It could have gone very differently these last few weeks, and this weekend could’ve just been a blip. But some races in Japan and China didn’t go my way. That’s how F1 goes sometimes.”
Still, confidence doesn’t erase a 20-point gap, not if Antonelli keeps cruising. If Antonelli keeps piling up wins, Russell’s going to have to fight more than just the stopwatch. Losing to your teammate over and over starts to mess with your head. Russell began the season as the guy to beat, but the longer this keeps up, the tougher it gets to grab hold of the story again.
He’s holding firm, for now. But F1 doesn’t wait for anyone. What does Russell call “just a tricky run”? Well, if momentum doesn’t swing his way soon, it could become a whole lot more than that.
MAX VERSTAPPEN TAKES FRONT ROW IN MIAMI AS RED BULL UPGRADES DELIVER IMMEDIATE RESULTS
Charles Leclerc admitted surprise at Red Bull's pace after Max Verstappen finished P2, just 0.166s behind Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli.
Charles Leclerc expected Red Bull to bounce back, but he couldn’t help admiring Max Verstappen’s raw speed at the Miami Grand Prix.
Red Bull rolled into Miami with a big upgrade, looking to recover after a rough start to the season. Verstappen, a four-time world champ, landed his Red Bull in second during qualifying. He was only 0.166 seconds behind Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s Mercedes, nearly snatching pole. After qualifying, Verstappen said he finally feels like he’s back in control of his car.
Leclerc was impressed by the turnaround. “Honestly, it’s not shocking to see Kimi up there. Mercedes has been the quickest team this year, and Kimi’s been amazing these last few races,” Leclerc said. “But Max and Red Bull are coming back like this? That’s a bit more surprising. The upgrades clearly worked, and you can’t forget how strong that team really is. You never expect them to just sit back and accept a slow start.”
He added, “We figured they’d come back swinging, but to see them right back on the front row after struggling at the start… that’s something else. It’s pretty remarkable. Still, my job’s the same: beat those guys. That’s where my head’s at right now.”
Leclerc had to settle for third on the grid for Sunday’s race. Ferrari looked strong early in qualifying, but their hopes faded by Q3.
He talked about the changing conditions, but didn’t think that’s what hurt Ferrari. “The wind definitely played a part, but track temperature wasn’t all that different, so I don’t think that’s the reason,” he said. “Maybe the track changed, and we didn’t see it coming, or maybe pushing harder today in qualifying just made our car’s weak spots stand out more.”
Leclerc admitted he hadn’t dug into the numbers yet; he’d just gotten out of the car. “We’ll have to check the details to figure out exactly where we lost time.”
