Red Bull’s top advisor, Helmut Marko, is pleased with Max Verstappen’s second-place finish in the Australian Grand Prix. In the lead-up to Melbourne, Red Bull had assumed that the Dutchman would be battling for positions behind both McLarens. However, Marko has been able to clearly see where the papayas (a nickname for the McLarens) are gaining time over their competitors and hints at major upgrades for his own team.
During the qualifying round, Max Verstappen had to position himself behind pole-sitter Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. In his RB21, he could not compete with the formidable McLaren MCL39. Helmut Marko is all the more reassured now that Verstappen has finished second in the race, especially since the event was plagued by bad weather, retirements, and the accompanying safety cars. “We are extremely happy with the result,” Marko declared afterwards to Austrian broadcaster ORF. Prior to the race, he had anticipated much more time loss compared to McLaren, although this was probably also due to the severe weather in Melbourne.
Tire Wear
“To win, we needed even more rain, but we were getting close,” he concluded. “McLaren simply has a better handle on tire wear, and that’s something we really need to work on. We saw this in the long runs in Bahrain.” The 81-year-old top advisor from Graz also predicts that Red Bull hopes to gain time in this area soon.”
“We aim to make a significant leap forward between the third and fifth race,” revealed Helmut Marko. The Formula 1 will travel to China next weekend and will then embark on a triptych in Japan, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia in April. It is possible that a major upgrade will be introduced to the RB21 during this first triple header. If Max Verstappen wants to defend his title, Red Bull will need to bring new equipment regardless. The Dutchman himself predicted that McLaren is unbeatable under dry conditions.
Helmut Marko congratulates Max Verstappen on his second place after the Australian GP (Getty Images)
