Helmut Marko points to Mercedes disadvantage after George Russell pole

Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has offered a boost to the Milton Keynes-based squad ahead of Sunday's Canadian Grand Prix.

Max Verstappen is due to start the Montreal race from second on the grid after narrowly missing out on pole position to George Russell.

Russell bagged the first non-McLaren and Red Bull pole of the season, adding to the fastest qualifying lap he claimed in Canada 12 months ago.

While Verstappen does not have the most advantageous position on the grid, Marko highlighted Red Bull holds strong confidence in its long run pace - especially in comparison to Mercedes.

“We can live with second place, especially if you look at the long runs," Marko told ServusTV. 

“Mercedes looked considerably worse in terms of tyre wear and last year he [Verstappen] also managed [to win] from P2. 

“It was otherwise quite complicated with the tyre, so we kept both [soft and medium] to watch.”

Verstappen's run to second place came on the medium compound, which performed similarly to the soft throughout the session.

Marko highlighted it was a late decision that paid off for the four-time champion.

“The temperature dropped quite significantly in the end,” he added. 

“It was a last-minute decision, but we were lucky, if not well-planned, to be able to use both tyre types."