Marco: We hope the car will be fast in Barcelona.

      Helmut Marko, Red Bull's motorsport consultant, commented on the results of the Monaco Grand Prix, in which Max Verstappen finished fourth, and told what results he expects from the race in Barcelona next weekend.

      Q: Before the start of the race in Monaco, you said that Max would use an unusual strategy. Did it work?Helmut Marko: In order for it to work, a safety car had to enter the track in the final laps or red flags had to appear. These were the only chances for Max.

      Q: Has the new two-stop rule affected anything?Helmut Marko: No, at least not without a safety car. It was a very boring race, and there was even less fighting in the middle of the peloton than last year. Overtaking on this track is simply impossible, even if you are five seconds faster.

      Question: Will the situation change next year with the new generation of cars?Helmut Marko: The new cars will get smaller, but that's not enough. Formula 2 cars are significantly smaller than Formula 1 cars, but they had the same problems with overtaking as we did.

      Q: Ralf Schumacher proposes to expand the track...Helmut Marko: It won't work. We need a longer straight line for the DRS system to work efficiently. The problems began in the 1990s, and the situation was aggravated by the wide front wings, which Niki Lauda called combines. Since then, everyone has been extremely careful not to damage them.

      Question: The positive outcome of the race for Red Bull Racing is that even after finishing in fourth position, Max lost almost nothing in the fight for the title ... Helmut Marko: That's because Lando Norris won this time, and Oscar Piastri finished only third.

      Q: How long will Norris and Piastri be allowed to fight each other?Helmut Marko: Ask McLaren about it.

      Q: Will the Red Bull car be as fast in Barcelona as it was in Imola?Helmut Marko: We hope so. Qualifying is very important in Barcelona because it is also very difficult to overtake on this track. But at least if the tires lose efficiency, you can overtake on the starting and reverse lines.

      Q: It is said that stricter requirements for the rigidity of the front wings will play into the hands of McLaren's rivals. Is that true?Helmut Marko: At least that's what they really say. I'm curious to see if that's really the case.