Pink Bull staff adviser Helmut Marko hit again at Lewis Hamilton‘s criticism of Alex Albon and defended Pink Bull’s driver line-up as a “good pairing” after the London-born Thai driver’s sixth-placed end in Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix. Albon, in his first full season as Max Verstappen’s team-mate, has struggled to match the Dutchman’s tempo and has remained round four-tenths of a second per lap behind him – a niche that Sunday’s race winner Hamilton believes has undermined Verstappen and Pink Bull’s problem for the titles.
Marko, who’s head of the Pink Bull driver programme that has provided a stream of racers to each Alpha Tauri, previously Toro Rosso, and the senior staff, defended Albon within the aftermath of Verstappen ending third behind each Mercedes’ vehicles to assert his sixth consecutive podium end.
“I do not perceive the criticism of Albon,” mentioned Marko. “Different team-mates additionally had a variety of bother with Max… I do not see it that Max is pushing him to the restrict, however that he’s pushing himself. I feel now we have a superb pairing there.”
Albon was separated from Verstappen by each Renaults on Sunday whereas Hamilton was adopted residence by team-mate Valtteri Bottas in Mercedes’ 50th one-two end since 2010 within the trendy turbo hybrid period.
Requested in regards to the efficiency of Pink Bull’s problem to the ‘black arrows’ defence of their championship crowns, Hamilton had urged that Verstappen lacked a team-mate who may match his tempo and outcomes.
The championship chief, whose win on Sunday took him 47 factors away from second-placed Verstappen within the drivers’ title race, didn’t point out Albon by identify as he made a common strategic level.
“Folks downplay it, however Pink Bull have gotten a really, very robust automotive,” he mentioned.
“Sadly, each drivers aren’t there like me and Valtteri are there… That makes it more durable for them.
“I skilled it a few years in the past with McLaren and I used to be the motive force that was at all times on the entrance and did not have a team-mate backing up.
“So, you equally do not get the constructors’ factors after which cannot play with technique on the vehicles they’re racing towards…. So he is sort of there on his personal.”
‘Nice on Sundays’
Albon, who has completed within the high 4 solely as soon as this 12 months, acquired stable assist from Pink Bull staff chief Christian Horner who additionally heaped reward on the person he changed halfway by means of final season, Pierre Gasly.
The Frenchman was chosen as ‘driver of the day’ on Sunday after ending eighth for Alpha Tauri.
“They’ve a superb automotive this 12 months, which can be simpler to handle than ours, however Alex is nice on Sundays,” mentioned Horner.
“He had one other good race, he’s at all times robust on the assault, so we’re transferring in the fitting course.”
Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher added, when talking on Sky Germany, that his Thai background was an element.
“We won’t overlook in regards to the possession construction at Pink Bull, the place it is rather welcome that a Thai driver is there,” he mentioned.
Marko additionally revealed that Pink Bull will introduce a brand new entrance wing at subsequent weekend’s Italian Grand Prix.
Hamilton, whose win moved him within two victories of Michael Schumacher’s all-time record of 91 as he seeks this 12 months to equal the German’s haul of seven championships, has welcomed a more in-depth combat.
However, like Mercedes staff chief Toto Wolff and plenty of paddock observers, he has not welcomed ‘synthetic’ manipulation of the laws to cut back his pace.
As a substitute, he urged tyres had been a difficulty to deal with.
Promoted
“On the finish of the day it is tyres,” he defined. “One-stopping actually is boring. We’re all ‘managing’ on the market and it isn’t racing. We’re all backing off on the finish and we don’t know what they will do.
“I used to be anxious it was going to be one other Silverstone, so I backed off. Possibly it might have been fantastic, however I simply can’t take that threat. After all, I want to have extra of a combat, however that is not on me.”
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