Dr Helmut Marko has slammed as “total nonsense” rumours that Honda was forced to turn down the engine power at recent races. Specifically, Marko said he has heard that Mercedes’ key improvement was in “the cooling system”, allowing Lewis Hamilton’s team to “unlock more horsepower”. “He (Gasly) is definitely driving his strongest season,” said Marko, “but he is extremely important as our team leader for Alpha Tauri. “He’s young, with a lot of Japanese mentality, but he makes mistakes when they are not necessary at all,” said Marko. “We are strong on all tracks,” he said, “but with Hamilton there is an extremely strong opponent. And with Mercedes, he has a team that does not seem to stop at anything.”.

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