Lewis Hamilton receives rare praise from Red Bull’s Helmut Marko
Red Bull's Helmut Marko has heaped some rare praise on Lewis Hamilton.
Lewis Hamilton has received some rare glowing praise from Red Bull’s Helmut Marko.
Seven-time world champion Hamilton took his first pole position for Ferrari for the sprint race at the F1 Chinese Grand Prix, beating Red Bull’s Max Verstappen by 0.018s.
Marko, not usually one to commend Hamilton, described the 40-year-old Briton’s performance in just his second competitive outing with Ferrari as “unbelievable.”
"I think they had an unlucky event in Melbourne," Marko told Motorsport. "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.”
Asked if he considers Ferrari to be a threat to Verstappen, Marko replied: "It's difficult to say. 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.”
Helmut Marko previously doubted Lewis Hamilton
Before the season started, Marko had expressed doubts that Hamilton could challenge Verstappen for the world championship this season.
Speaking to German publication Bild, the 81-year-old Austrian named McLaren and Ferrari as the biggest threat to Red Bull, but questioned the capabilities of their drivers.
“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,” Marko 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.”
Former F1 title rivals Hamilton and Verstappen are set for their first battle of 2025 as they line-up on the front-row together for Saturday’s shorter sprint race.
Lewis regularly attends Grands Prix for Crash.net around the world. Often reporting on the action from the ground, Lewis tells the stories of the people who matter in the sport.
