If all Max Verstappen can manage this weekend at Zandvoort is a podium, Dr Helmut Marko thinks that would be “fine”. “The first laps Verstappen did gives us optimism that we can still fight with the leaders. “We probably won’t even use the hard tyres in the race which is why we put it on in the first practice to get rid of them. “We will still be able to fight for a podium and that’s fine for us for now,” insisted Marko. It could, however, make for an exciting Dutch GP, with a Mercedes source believing that “Red Bull, Ferrari and us are on par”. “Now after Friday practice in Zandvoort they think we are going to win again.

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