Marko reacts to the incident between Verstappen and Hamilton during qualifying at Monaco

After a strong third free practice, where Verstappen finished second, Marko was unexpectedly disappointed with the Dutchman's fifth place in qualifying, with the Red Bull advisor having hoped for more in one of the most important sessions of the whole season.

Helmut Marko had no answers as to why the Dutchman performed better during the last free practice before qualifying than in qualifying itself: “We really don't know ourselves. We just didn't have the necessary grip at the crucial moment,” the Austrian told Sky Sports Germany.

Throughout the session, Marko noticed Verstappen's car speed decrease: “The car started to slide more, especially in the last sector.”, with the Austrian also adding that he had expected at least a third place for Verstappen.

But, although there was some hope for more, the 81-year-old said keeping up with the McLarens and Ferraris would have been “impossible”.

Hamilton and Verstappen were required to report to the stewards after the session for an incident during Q1. Hamilton notably hindered Verstappen during a fast lap. Regarding the incident, Marko commented: “If we gain a place this way, it would be good. But our speed just wasn't there,” said the Austrian.