Helmut Marko believes Max Verstappen should not have been punished because F2 drivers got away with similar incidents.

The Red Bull driver was given a five-second penalty for gaining a lasting advantage off-track, but Marko disagreed with that verdict.

Helmut Marko makes F2 claim in defence of Max Verstappen

Verstappen and Oscar Piastri were neck and neck approaching the first corner but the McLaren driver looked to have got ahead of his Red Bull counterpart at the crucial apex.

Piastri was able to make the corner while Verstappen ran wide, rejoining the track ahead of Piastri and refusing to give the spot back.

The stewards took a dim view of the incident, handing Verstappen a lenient penalty of five seconds compared to the standard 10, but Marko still disagreed with that.

“I think the race was lost at the start. And really, where was Max supposed to go?” Marko told Sky Germany.

“We watched the Formula 2 races, and the same thing happened to two or three drivers. They were only given warnings. So in our view, the five-second penalty was a bit harsh… the inconsistency in stewarding is difficult to understand.

“Yes, Piastri was ahead at the start, but at the very last braking zone, Max was slightly ahead again. But it is what it is.

“The positive is: we had the pace, tyre wear was under control. But once again, you could see just how difficult overtaking is. After the penalty, we focused on securing P2.”

Marko went on to claim that without the penalty, Verstappen would have “absolutely” won the race, highlighting the three-second gap he created early in the grand prix.

“You could see it – he pulled a three-second gap early on. Piastri was already complaining about tyre degradation. When you’re following another car, it’s always tougher. And on the second stint with the hard tyres, when Max really pushed to the limit, we were closing in again.”

Verstappen meanwhile chose to keep his thoughts to himself, suggesting that if he said his true opinion then he would have been punished.

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“I prefer not to talk a lot because sometimes your words can be twisted or people interpret it in a different way. It’s honestly better not to say too much. So that’s what I’m trying to do.

“Like I said before, it’s just the world we live in. You can’t share your opinion because it’s not appreciated apparently, or people can’t handle the full truth.

“Honestly, it’s better if I don’t say too much.

“It also saves my time because we already have to do so much. It’s honestly just how everything is becoming. Everyone is super sensitive about everything. And what we have currently, we cannot be critical anyway. So less talking – even better for me.”

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