Marko admits Red Bull were ‘lucky’ faster rival started further back 

Marko has claimed that Ferrari pair Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz were both quicker than the Red Bulls throughout Sunday’s 70-lap race in Montreal. 

Max Verstappen took another commanding victory ahead of Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes to maintain Red Bull’s unbeaten start to 2023. 

Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez finished behind both Ferraris in sixth as he recovered from a disappointing qualifying. 

Marko suggested that Red Bull’s victory may have been under threat had Leclerc and Sainz started higher up. 

“It wasn’t easy, we had problems with the Hard tyres to get them up to temperature. The race was harder than we thought,” Marko told ServusTV.

“But luckily Ferrari started further back, as they were fastest on both sets of tyres.” 

Verstappen’s run to his sixth triumph in eight races wasn’t completely straightforward as the Dutchman struck a bird that became lodged in his brake duct, before he had a bumpy ride over the kerbs in the closing stages. 

Speaking about Verstappen’s late error, Marko said: “Maybe he was looking at the TV screens, he often does that. 

“But it’s incredible what kind of overview Max has and what kind of overcapacity he has.”