Helmut Marko will have a significant say in driver line-up decisions at two teams this year. In his role as the head of Red Bull’s driver development programme, he also wields influence at RB. The world champions must decide whether to retain Sergio Perez as Max Verstappen’s teammate. Perez’s contract is up at the end of the season. This is apparently a source of disagreement behind the scenes at Red Bull. Christian Horner is keen on the idea of signing free agent Carlos Sainz, whereas Marko is of a mind to stick with Perez. Verstappen thrashed Perez by a record 290-point margin in last year’s…
