Helmut Marko Predicts Spanish GP Victory, And It’s Not Red Bull

After two very difficult race weekends in Monaco and Canada, Red Bull was ready to bounce back. They brought massive upgrades to Barcelona in response which made an instant impact. The qualifying session saw both their cars make it to Q3 for the first time since Miami.

However, despite the boost, Max Verstappen was beaten by Lando Norris for pole position. Based on the qualifying outcome and practice sessions, Red Bull’s advisor Helmut Marko made his predictions. Surprisingly enough, it’s not in favor of the Austrian outfit.

Marko believes the scales tip in favor of the McLaren man starting from the front. The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya has a high degree of tire degradation. Based on the output in the practice sessions, this gives Lando Norris a further advantage as the MCL38 managed its tires the best. However, with the changes made to the Red Bull challenger, he’s still optimistic.

As quoted by RacingNews365, he said, “If you look at Friday’s long runs, McLaren is clearly the favorite. But with the changes we have made, we can also assume that tire wear will be better.”

The Red Bull honcho is also predicting and preparing for possible showers during the race. If the track gets wet, it will change the race’s scenario and then the win will be up for grabs. A safety car could also play its part but the 81-year-old confessed the chances of that are highly unlikely. However, the competition is undeniably increasing and it has been evident in the weekend so far. Now, even Mercedes has made itself a threat.

After conceding to McLaren, Red Bull advisor will keep a close look at Mercedes

Since Montreal, the Mercedes W15 has become a topic of contention for the Austrian team. The Brackley outfit introduced a new flexible front wing in Monaco and saw instant results. This has concerned Red Bull who believe it is flexing beyond the permissible limit. This is exactly why Marko has admitted he will be keeping a closer eye on the Silver Arrows.

According to a post on X by user @RBR_Daily, he said, “I have a new task for myself this weekend. I will watch Mercedes more closely. The flexing front wing is an important issue. I have to make sure everything goes according to the rule book.”

This proves Red Bull’s old and fiercest rivals are back to giving them troubles on track. So, after conceding McLaren is a faster car on long runs in Barcelona, they’ll be looking at Mercedes as well. Lewis Hamilton starting behind Max Verstappen in the race, could cause them serious trouble.