15/06/2025 11:40
Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has offered a boost to the Milton
Keynes-based squad ahead of Sunday's Canadian Grand Prix. Max
Verstappen is due to start the Montreal race from second on the
grid after narrowly missing out on pole position to George Russell.
Russell bagged the first non-McLaren and Red Bull pole of the
season, adding to the fastest qualifying lap he claimed in Canada
12 months ago. While Verstappen does not have the most advantageous
position on the grid, Marko highlighted Red Bull holds strong
confidence in its long run pace - especially in comparison to
Mercedes. "We can live with second place, especially if you look at
the long runs," Marko told ServusTV . "Mercedes looked
considerably worse in terms of tyre wear and last year he
[Verstappen] also managed [to win] from P2. "It was otherwise
quite complicated with the tyre, so we kept both [soft and medium]
to watch." Verstappen's run to second place came on the medium
compound, which performed similarly to the soft throughout the
session. Marko highlighted it was a late decision that paid off for
the four-time champion. "The temperature dropped quite
significantly in the end," he added. "It was a last-minute
decision, but we were lucky, if not well-planned, to be able to use
both tyre types."
