Red Bull Motorsport Advisor Helmut Marko has revealed the team sacrificed its qualifying to focus on race day at the Italian Grand Prix. Championship leader Max Verstappen was pipped by a margin of only 0.013secs as Ferrari's Carlos Sainz took a stunning pole position in front of the passionate Tifosi. The Dutchman had been behind Sainz in both second and final practice with the Scuderia showing blistering one-lap pace at Monza. Despite having knocked Charles Leclerc off provisional pole with his final attempt, Verstappen was subsequently beaten by Sainz and forced to settle for second. Teammate Sergio Perez will line up fifth after a far-from straightforward weekend that has involved a crash and an oil leak - followed by a power unit change - through practice.
'We knew Ferrari would be strong'
Detailing Red Bull's qualifying, Marko told ORF : "We already knew that Ferrari would be strong and we never really focused on pole position. "Looking at how we went about it with the set-up, for the race it is a lot more important [than for qualifying]. "With these positions, we have a good tactical and strategic advantage." The Red Bull Motorsport Advisor also touched on Sainz grabbing pole position, believing it "best for the atmosphere in Italy."
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