20 March 2023 , 16:46
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Helmut Marko thinks it was "typical" of Max Verstappen to go all out for the fastest lap of the race despite being told by his Red Bull team to manage his pace.
From the moment the Dutchman took second place, pretty much halfway through the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix having started 15th, it was clear that only a mechanical fault or a crash was going to deny Red Bull another one-two finish.
He would have preferred to win himself but Sergio Perez showed impressive pace to keep his team-mate at arm's length and take victory. But it was not enough to wrestle top spot in the championship away from Verstappen.
Perez was on course to secure the extra point for fastest lap, which would have been enough for him to leapfrog the defending champion. Both drivers were told by the team to maintain a target pace and cruise to the finish line to secure maximum points.
But Verstappen clearly had only one thing on his mind and, with just a few laps to go, asked his race engineer who had the fastest lap and was told: "We're not concerned with that." His retort was: "But I am," and on the last lap he put his foot down to make sure he got the extra point.
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Long-serving Red Bull team adviser Marko was not at all surprised to watch that happen. "Typical Max on the last lap with the fastest race lap. That was uncontrollable. That's just Max," he said after the race.
Max Verstappen explained why he went for the fastest lap (HOCH ZWEI/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images)"Both were constantly asking who had the fastest lap and Max, of course, has to the last waited a moment so that Perez could no longer counter. It means the lead in the world championship for him."
While Marko clearly had no problem with the situation, Perez did as he suggested the team was giving each driver a different message. He said: "I thought the communication was the same to Max – I think we need to review the different information."
Verstappen said what he did was "normal", adding: "We were free to race and, of course, we had a target lap time to the end. But there's a point on the line – it was the same also in Bahrain, it got asked, especially when it's just between the two cars. I think it's quite normal that you ask what the fastest lap is."