Marko is certain: 'But then Max was ahead again'

Oscar Piastri got off to a great start this evening in Jeddah, and went down the inside of Verstappen into Turn 1. Verstappen cut the corner, and was later handed a five-second penalty by the stewards.

"I think the race was lost at the start. Where was Max supposed to go? In the Formula 2 race, the same thing happened to two or three drivers earlier. Warnings were issued there. So, those five seconds were quite strict," Marko reacted to the incident to Sky Sports DE after the race in the Middle East.

"Initially, Piastri was ahead, but in the very last braking section, Max was ahead again. But it is what it is," the Austrian added.

Marko then reacted to Verstappen's pace this evening. "The positive is that the speed was there, but you could see again: overtaking is incredibly difficult. And after we received that penalty, we just tried to secure second place and bring it home safely.

Could Verstappen have won the race if he hadn't received the penalty? Marko answered the question clearly: "Yes."