Helmut Marko concerned about defending P2 in light of Sergio Perez ‘handicap’

Taking points away from Sergio Perez in two of the last four races, Helmut Marko is worried that Sergio Perez’s qualifying “handicap” could cost him second place in the Drivers’ Championship against Lewis Hamilton.

Perez went into Formula 1’s summer break on 189 points, 40 ahead of Fernando Alonso and an extra one point up on Hamilton.

But four races later it is the Mercedes driver who is up to third place with Hamilton just 33 points down on the Red Bull racer.

Helmut Marko: Qualifying is Sergio Perez’s handicap

That has Marko worried that Perez, who dropped pointed to Hamilton in Singapore where he qualified P13 and in Japan where he was fifth on the grid to his team-mate Max Verstappen’s pole position, could be hurt in the race for P2 in the standings behind Verstappen.

Qualifying has been a sore point for Perez this season with the driver failing to make it into the pole position shoot-out five races in a row, Monaco to Britain. That not only quashed any hope he had of winning the World title but opened the door for others to dream of finishing runner-up.

While initially that dream was Alonso’s, it’s now Hamilton’s.

“Qualifying is Perez’s handicap,” Marko said as per Motorsport.com. “We have to defend second place, because Hamilton is unfortunately getting closer.”

The Briton, though, concedes that the ball is firmly in Perez’s court given the Mexican driver is racing the superior RB19.

“It’s ultimately largely dependent on Checo, Checo’s performance moving forward, as he should easily be second, as you know,” said Hamilton.

“But I’m really proud of where we are. Really proud of the race performances so far.

“Of course, we want to try and do better and do more, and if, if we were able to get second, that would be amazing. But the main focus is really trying to get second for the team.”

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All hail Max Verstappen, at least Marko does

But while Perez is fighting to hold onto P2, Marko is celebrating yet another World title for Verstappen.

The Dutchman needs just three points to wrap it up meaning a P6 in Saturday’s sprint race at the Qatar Grand Prix will be enough.

“He clearly wants to decide everything on Saturday and his chances are very good,” said the Austrian, who is not entirely looking forward to footing that bill. “They had beer and whiskey at the hotel last time, but at ridiculous prices, but it will all be worth it.”

Praising Verstappen, he added: “He has undergone unprecedented development as a person. He only celebrated his 26th birthday on Saturday and has a great personality.

“As a driver, he surprises us time and time again, for example with qualifying rounds that you never thought possible. There are no limits to his expectations, his future looks bright.”

And that he has destroyed Perez as a team-mate, Marko says: “Senna’s team-mates also all perished, Gerhard Berger can speak to that. Senna was looking for challenges, but for Verstappen it is different. Only older drivers such as Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso would hold out next to him.”

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