Helmut Marko: hard tires a mistake for Max Verstappen, yet it was our only option | F1 Spain GP. Helmut Marko admits Red Bull’s decision to use hard tires for Verstappen in the Spanish GP was a mistake.

It feels like the championship ended at race nine of twenty-four. With Max Verstappen’s penalty dropping him to tenth, the title race has shifted to McLaren, with Oscar Piastri holding a 49-point lead over the Dutchman.

After a stunning race, run at qualifying pace to support the three-stop strategy, the Spanish GP took an odd turn due to the Safety Car triggered by Kimi Antonelli’s engine failure. Max Verstappen was called to the pits, like almost everyone else, and on his RB21 they could no longer fit a fresh set of soft tires, causing a wild final phase of the race after choosing a set of hards.

Helmut Marko, Red Bull advisor, tries to explain: “The situation was that we only had one set of new hard tires left. The alternative would have been to put on a set of softs that had already done seven laps, and we assumed the hards would be the better solution.”

A wrong choice?
“It was a disaster in terms of warm-up and it cost us at least a second of grip compared to the choices made by our rivals, who had good soft tires. So, there were moments when a frustrated Max reacted a bit aggressively, which is understandable. But the important fact is that we got a 10-second penalty and finished the race only in tenth place, which makes everything even more disappointing. It was a difficult weekend overall.”

Helmut Marko makes a very clear point…
“We can’t think we can beat the McLarens, and that’s why we opted for a three-stop strategy. We thought we were closer to the McLarens and could chase them, but unfortunately, that was not the case. We are still three tenths behind, which is too much…”

Why not use a used soft tire instead of the hard that everyone discarded?
“Because simulations show performance deltas for the different compounds, indicating differences in lap times and grip. The first problem was already seen in the warm-up lap: Max couldn’t get the tire up to temperature nor find grip. And once the tire warmed up, its performance was still at least a second worse compared to the soft.”

Was Max involved in the choice?
“No, he was not involved. He didn’t know which sets were still available and there wasn’t enough time to explain the situation in detail. But obviously, he objected when the hard tire was fitted.”

The Austrian advisor doesn’t say it outright, but implies that maybe it would have been better to leave Verstappen on track and skip the pit stop during the Safety Car, even if the numbers suggested otherwise.