"That move in Imola was absolutely world-class," says Marko in a conversation with Sport.de. "Piastri was watching Russell and had already written off Max after his poor start. But Max saw that Piastri braked early, dove beside him, and was on the ideal line by turn two. The way he executed that: absolutely world-class. Very few can do that."

Yet he expects a very different scenario in Monaco. "I wouldn't know where you'd have to brake so early there. In Monaco, you have to force the driver in front of you into a mistake. But Piastri is normally cool enough to prevent that from happening," continues the top advisor of the Austrian racing team.

According to Marko, the race weekend in the Principality is not a benchmark for the championship standings: "In Monaco, it's the kerbs and slow corners that count. Those are not our strong points. Only in Barcelona, when the new rules for the wings are applied, will it reveal the actual standings."

Verstappen won his second race of the F1 season in Imola, making up ground on Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. Yet, Marko remains cautious. "Everything has to be perfect for us to defeat McLaren. Fortunately, we have Max. He can do things that break others," concludes he.