Helmut Marko, Red Bull’s motorsport advisor known for his sparing praise of rivals, couldn’t help but tip his hat to an “unbelievable” Lewis Hamilton after the Ferrari driver’s stunning pole in Sprint Qualifying at the Chinese Grand Prix on Friday.
Hamilton, in just his second race with Ferrari, edged out Red Bull’s Max Verstappen by a mere 0.018s, with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri clocking in third, 00.080s adrift.
Marko did not hold back his praise for Hamilton’s display with the Scuderia in Shanghai.
“I think they had an unlucky event in Melbourne,” Marko told Motorsport, reflecting on Ferrari’s struggles in Australia.
“But here, from the first session on, Ferrari was strong. And I mean, congratulations to Hamilton in his second race to be in pole position. It's against Leclerc, who is a fantastic qualifier. It means it's an unbelievable achievement.”
Marko’s Pre-Season Doubts
Marko’s plaudits are particularly striking given his pre-season skepticism about Hamilton’s ability to challenge for the 2025 title.
Speaking to German publication Bild, the 81-year-old Austrian had named McLaren and Ferrari as Red Bull’s biggest threats but questioned their drivers’ consistency.
“The two race teams [McLaren and Ferrari] had the best base for their cars last season and were able to perform well on most circuits,” he said.
“They can build on that, but none of the drivers stand out for me. Charles Leclerc is good in qualifying but makes a lot of mistakes in the races.
“And Lewis Hamilton still has the speed, but can he keep that up for a whole season? I have my doubts about that.
“Even if he has a good Ferrari and we build a mediocre Red Bull for Max, I would put my money on Max.”
A Front-Row Showdown Looms
Despite his earlier doubts, Marko now sees Ferrari as a potential threat, though he remains cautious.
“It's difficult to say,” he said on Friday. “With this new asphalt, I'm sure degradation will be less and less during the next couple of events. And then we'll see who can go this speed for a race distance,” he noted.
As Hamilton and Verstappen prepare to renew their historic rivalry from the front row in Saturday’s Sprint race, Marko’s rare praise underscores the magnitude of Hamilton’s achievement in Shanghai.
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