Red Bull Racing made an interesting decision in the Formula 1 driver’s market ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix.
Not only did they confirm that Yuki Tsunoda would be staying with Visa Cash App RB but Red Bull decided to stick with Sergio Perez beyond the end of 2024.
READ MORE: Red Bull driver Sergio Perez’s life outside F1 from net worth to nickname
However, in a Q+A with Le Journal de Montreal, Red Bull chief Helmut Marko wasn’t completely convinced by his team’s latest decision.
Max Verstappen is tied down until the end of 2028 although Mercedes still want to convince him to make the switch.
The Dutchman picked up the 60 race win of his career at the Canadian Grand Prix, while his teammate failed to finish the race after crashing at turn six.
Marko has now insisted that McLaren have the best driver pairing in the paddock with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.
Both young drivers are extremely quick and well matched which appears to be propelling McLaren in the right direction.
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Helmut Marko raves about Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri
With so many drivers out of contract this season, McLaren entered the season knowing that they wouldn’t be involved in any of the volatility in the paddock.
After poaching Piastri from Alpine, McLaren extended the Australian’s contract before the end of his first F1 campaign after putting in some brilliant performances.
Lando Norris signed a new deal in January despite his initial agreement still having at least a year left to run.
McLaren recognised that other top teams would be on the lookout for potential replacements and wanted to make sure their drivers were well set for the foreseeable future.
One man who is a huge fan of Norris and Piastri is Helmut Marko who has admitted in the past he would love to sign both drivers in the future.
Understandably, the veteran Red Bull chief has ignored his own team’s line-up with Perez struggling to justify his recent contract extension.
READ MORE: Everything you need to know about McLaren F1 Team from team principal to engine
McLaren have advantage over Red Bull with their driver line-up
When asked who has the best driver pairing the paddock, Marko said: “Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri at McLaren.
“They are young and they are hungry. Currently, they get along well and work well together.”
Marko’s answer might also refer to the ongoing power struggle going on at Red Bull.
Christian Horner and Helmut Marko haven’t seen eye to eye recently, with David Croft suggesting they may have disagreed over whether to retain Yuki Tsunoda.
Toto Wolff has even admitted that it’s possible Mercedes could hire Marko as this would help them in their pursuit of Max Verstappen.
Perez has had a torrid time in recent races, crashing out in Monaco and Canada while failing to progress from Q1 on both occasions.
The Mexican isn’t producing the level of performance needed for Red Bull to win another Constructors’ Championship.
Red Bull got away with his mistake after both Ferrari drivers failed to finish the race.
However, McLaren showed with a 2 and 5-place finish what they were capable of even if they didn’t necessarily have the fastest car.
The post ‘They are hungry’: Helmut Marko names F1 duo who are even better than Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez appeared first on F1 Oversteer.