Helmut Marko has tipped his hat to a “very good bluff” from Mercedes during the Mexican GP weekend.
Red Bull were overwhelming favourites to dominate in Mexico, but Mercedes sprung a surprise on them on Saturday. It came as a shock to them and their drivers, and they were stunned enough to concede the front row.
The Milton-Keynes outfit topped every speed statistic, but Mercedes pulled the rug from under them when it mattered. Many praised the smart sandbag from the German team, and among them was the Red Bull advisor.
Marko tipped his hat to a “very good bluff” from Mercedes during the Mexican GP weekend, and lamented his team’s misfortune.
“That was a very good bluff from Mercedes,” Marko said through gritted teeth, as quoted by Racingnews365.com.
“I think we would have come very close or maybe in between. But the superiority that came first is gone.
“It will be a very difficult race. Let’s see the start and how everything will go ahead,” he concluded.
Misfortune
In addition to Mercedes’ sudden surge in pace, Red Bull ran into a problem during Q3, where a driver off the track cost both their drivers their flying laps.
Sergio Perez was the first one who bottled the lap, getting distracted by what was happening and going off the track himself. His actions affected Max Verstappen behind him, who mistook the chaos for a yellow flag and lifted off.
By the time the Dutchman realised what was going on, it was too late, and Red Bull has surrendered their bid for the front row in Mexico.
Nevertheless, they will back themselves to do well in the race, having shown their pace throughout the weekend. It is a race they must win to ease some of the burden off their shoulders.