Things in Formula 1 have heated to such an extent that no team is letting go of an opportunity to take a dig at each other. So much so that they’re finding ways to mock their rivals, even for their own error. Helmut Marko did just that after their qualifying blunder, which resulted in Verstappen having to settle for P8 in qualifying after his flying lap was cut short.

Max Verstappen struggled for pace and grip while qualifying at the Singapore Grand Prix. So much so that even Lewis Hamilton, in a struggling Mercedes, was getting relatively good lap times. Despite that, he was on a blistering final lap in the third session of qualifying and looked destined to take the pole position. But as luck would have it, it was not to be.

Helmut Marko reacts to Red Bull blunder while taking a dig at Ferrari

Max Verstappen was extremely upset after he was told on the radio by his team to abandon the lap. He swore on the radio and asked why he was told to come into the pits. We later came to know that he was running on low fuel and could have possibly failed FIA’s fuel sample test.

Helmut Marko later clarified the misunderstanding. He said, “In the penultimate lap we had two purple sectors, but then we ran into Pierre Gasly.” [translated using Google]

“Then we decided to withdraw. With the confusion of not being able to finish the penultimate lap and then put on another, we overlooked the fact that we only had fuel for five laps,” he continued.

Taking a dig at Ferrari’s faulty strategies throughout the season, the Red Bull advisor said, “things like that can happen, not just at Ferrari.”

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This business of belittling each other on every occasion possibly started after rumors emerged that Red Bull breached the budget cap in the 2021 season.

Mercedes and Ferrari’s statements did not go down well with Christian Horner

While the FIA is yet to make public its report on budget caps and the teams’ compliance, the rumors are abuzz with Red Bull and Aston Martin being guilty of breaching it.

This invited a sharp response from Mercedes and Ferrari bosses, asking the FIA to make sure that the offenders are dealt with. Reacting to their statements, Red Bull boss Christian Horner said, “These are defamatory statements and absolutely unacceptable. The FIA itself says they have not yet completed their investigation.”

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While we wait for FIA’s report on compliance, it would be interesting to follow Sunday’s race to see if Max is able to build on his 5-race win streak.