With the 2025 Australian GP set to kick off the season this weekend, there’s not a lot of time left until the true pecking order of the grid will be on display for the world to see. But until the lights go green in Melbourne, speculation will unfold, and unsurprisingly, the ever-so-controversial Helmut Marko has already made a bold claim.
In the build-up, Marko raised a few eyebrows when he deemed Ferrari as third-fastest, just ahead of Mercedes. He didn’t clarify where Red Bull stood but it was clear what he tried to imply.
It came as a shock because of how Red Bull’s pre-season unfolded. In those three days of running in Bahrain, the RB21 looked out of balance and Technical Director Pierre Wache admitted that expectations were not met. That there would be a lot of catching up to do, he stated.
So, being second in the standings despite all the lingering issues seems too good to be true. Marko insists that it is.
There was no way he would claim to be faster than McLaren – the season favorites. So, in his interview with AMuS, the Austrian got that out of the way. “McLaren currently has the fastest car and is also incredibly strong in terms of tire wear.” But then, he declared that Red Bull was ahead of both Ferrari and Mercedes.
“In our estimation, we’re ahead of both, both on a single lap and in the long runs. Mercedes, for example, has been notable for its significant tire wear“.
AUTO MOTOR UND SPORT – How do you compare to Mercedes and Ferrari?
Helmut Marko: In our assessment, we are ahead of both, both in a single lap and in the long runs. Mercedes, for example, has been noticeable with very high tire wear.https://t.co/nhDrlhWLv6
— Junaid #JB17 (@JunaidSamodien_) March 12, 2025
Marko could just be playing mind games with Ferrari and Mercedes, as they were considered the fastest behind McLaren after Bahrain. Not a single expert in the paddock had placed Red Bull ahead.
At best, there could be an improvement in performance compared the RB20. Team Principal Christian Horner revealed that his drivers felt it was ‘easier to drive‘. That said, it still isn’t good enough to compete for victories.
Verstappen not expecting to win in Australia
Verstappen isn’t pessimistic by nature. Even when his car is underperforming, his aim—both to the public and internally—remains to win. So if he is talking about not being in contention, there’s seriously something wrong with Red Bull.
Ahead of the race in Albert Park, Verstappen has given up hope. “I don’t think we can compete for the win in Melbourne,” he said. “Not everything went completely smoothly for us, but on the other hand, we do have some ideas about how we can improve ourselves.”
The last line does add some hope to Red Bull’s season ahead. They started 2024 as the favorites but finished third in the end. This year, they would be hoping for things to unfold the other way around.
Wache, despite his negative comments about the RB21 after testing, also admitted that they are headed in the right direction regardless. However, who should Red Bull fans trust: Wache or Marko?
The correct answer will only be known after FP1 on Friday, which will give a true idea of where Red Bull stands. Wache and Verstappen could simply be telling the truth.
On the other hand, they could also be sandbagging, with Marko, a PR nightmare for Red Bull, having come out to spill the beans.
