Helmut Marko reveals ‘sudden problem’ that impacted Red Bull’s US Grand Prix

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Red Bull had a difficult race during the United States Grand Prix when Max Verstappen nearly dropped out of the podium places and Sergio Perez struggled to beat George Russell.

Although the team had started off well with a Sprint race pole and win for Max Verstappen, it was a different picture in the race when the Dutchman struggled more on the hard tyre.

This is what left him vulnerable to Lando Norris, who extended his first stint after getting passed by the Red Bull driver heading into the first corner on the opening lap.

The pair ended up getting involved in an on-track skirmish, which has left Karun Chandhok to question whether the current rules are fit for purpose.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Red Bull Racing from engine to Ford links

Helmut Marko has revealed that Red Bull was caught up in a ‘sudden problem’ during the race, which made it harder for them to catch rivals when speaking to Sky Sports.

Helmut Marko explains understeer problem that impacted Max Verstappen

Perez ended up finishing behind Russell after a late pit stop for the Mercedes driver enabled him to make use of the tyre offset, while Verstappen was promoted to third after Norris was penalised for his overtake.

Even though there are encouraging signs for Red Bull after their car upgrade, Marko highlighted the issue that both drivers faced when they ran the hard tyre at the end of the race.

“Not quite. We couldn’t keep up the pace we showed in the Sprint, neither with the medium tyre nor with the hard tyre. We had understeer, but we don’t know why it suddenly appeared,” said Marko.

“At least we are happy that we were able to extend our lead by five points. When Ferrari has their track and everything fits together, they have often been very strong, but I don’t think they can repeat that on all tracks.”

Red Bull under threat from Ferrari in Constructors’ Championship

The win for Charles Leclerc meant he put Ferrari within eight points of Red Bull in the Constructors’ Championship, as their chance of winning it looks even more slim.

Red Bull is quietly focusing more on Verstappen’s title defence, with Norris’ mixed results in Austin helping their cause.

But with Ferrari now finding pace in their car and Perez seemingly unable to match Verstappen again, it appears Red Bull could end up third in the title standings.

This will mean millions of pounds lost in prize money for the Milton Keynes outfit, who originally looked on course to repeat their title dominance of 2023 when the year began.