Red Bull has started the 2024 season in even more blistering form than last year. The team from Milton Keynes has picked up 87 out of the 88 maximum available points in two races. Thanks to the same, the popular belief is that Red Bull might go undefeated this season. However, a report from F1 Maximaal quotes Helmut Marko as he details the one weakness that might lead to their downfall.
“In Saudi Arabia, Max [Verstappen] again owed his pole position to an extraordinary lap. However, if that doesn’t work, and we are not allowed to start at the front, then we certainly may not win.”
Marko wasn’t very impressed with his team in the first two races of the season. He claimed his team wasn’t very good at warming up the tires, and they paid the price for it.
As the races went on, the tire wear on the hard compound was higher than expected. Given the same, Marko fears if a team were to catch up to their pace and have a better tire management strategy, it might be game over for Red Bull.
Referring to Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes, Marko praised them for their strategy. The 7x world champion drove 37 laps on the medium compound in Jeddah, much to Marko’s delight. “Their strategy worked really well,” he claimed.
By doing so, Hamilton showcased the perfect combination of high speed and tire management. The showing made it difficult to overtake Hamilton despite the lack of pace in the W15, which brought Marko to talk about the other factor that could lead to a Red Bull loss.
A poor qualifying could also cost Red Bull dearly
The opening two races of the 2024 season have seen Max Verstappen take pole position each time. While it may be the case for now, there is no telling if Red Bull can continue dominating the one-lap pace. Marko feels overtaking has become much more difficult in 2024, and it shall soon play a role this season.
He believes the competition has become a “qualifying championship” this year. As such, if one qualifies at the front of the grid, their lives would be much easier.
The 80-year-old does not count on his team winning everything, owing to the fact that their one-lap pace isn’t always the best. A lack of one-lap pace could prove to be Red Bull’s Achilles’ Heel, especially in races where qualifying is of utmost importance.
Last year, the only race they lost came in Singapore, and much of it had to do with neither driver making it beyond Q2. Pointing out the same, Marko claimed Monaco would also be a tough venue for his team.
