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Marko still not happy with tyres

Helmut Marko: "We want a tyre that does not restrict our potential" © Sutton Images

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Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has again called for changes to Pirelli's tyre compounds, arguing that they distort competition.

Pirelli revealed in Bahrain that Red Bull is the only team asking for changes to the compounds, while eight teams have asked for the situation to remain the same. Since then the Italian tyre supplier has tweaked the hard compound, but mainly with the intention of getting it to work more consistently in the lower temperatures expected in Europe.

But Marko is still pushing for further changes to the compound range to reduce the level of degradation and allow drivers to push harder throughout the race.

"We want a tyre that does not restrict our potential," he was quoted by Motorsport-Magazin.com. "You should be able to get the optimum out of the car and currently it is a compromise. We have to adjust the car so that you can make as few pit stops as possible.

"We have two top drivers, which is not cheap. Then you have to tell them that they cannot drive flat out through some corners, which is not easy. This distorts competition."

Despite Red Bull's misgivings regarding the tyres, the team still leads the constructors' and drivers' championship and has won two of the first four races. Its closest competitor in both championships is Lotus and Marko believes the E21 looks competitive in all conditions on the 2013-specification tyres.

"The tyre is unpredictable and some cars handle the situation better than others. Lotus appears to be fast on all circuits."

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