Over the last five race weekends, only one thing seems constant and that is the superior pace of the McLaren car. Moreover, since 2022, no team has troubled Red Bull Racing as consistently as the Woking-based outfit has in 2024. However, the consistent threat has not translated into wins for them. According to Helmut Marko, that is down to individual errors from Lando Norris.
In his latest column on Speedweek, Marko has admitted the error-prone driving from the Brit is the only saving grace for Red Bull and he’s grateful for it. The Austrian wrote, “Max drives practically error-free, which Lando can’t do yet. Thank God, but he remains our main competitor.”
Lando Norris vs. Max Verstappen
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Unlike their world champion, who has won in Canada and Spain thanks to his individual brilliance, Norris has made costly errors. Extending his stint in Montreal and the poor start in Barcelona cost Norris the opportunity to win on both occasions.
This is the exact reason why Marko believes the 24-year-old isn’t a strong enough competitor for the reigning champion. Moreover, the scales will tip further in Red Bull’s favor if Mercedes can prove itself to be a nuisance on a regular basis.
Helmut Marko explains how Mercedes’ improvement helps Red Bull more than McLaren
Mercedes added their name to the list of teams showcasing an improvement in performance after a major upgrade. The W15 was the fastest over one lap in Canada and was also in the mix ahead of Ferrari in Barcelona.
With more and more teams getting in the fight among the frontrunners, this helps Red Bull. This is because these battles will see the chasing pack fight amongst themselves while Red Bull will extend their advantage in the championship table.
In order to explain the same, Marko wrote, “I therefore hope that Mercedes will become stronger and be the second strongest force for a while, which would certainly help us with a view to the World Cup.”
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From keeping a close eye on their front wing to supporting them, the perspective toward the Silver Arrows has taken a big U-turn for Red Bull. However, if the Woking outfit can continue establishing themselves as Red Bull’s closest competitor, they will cause plenty of trouble for the Milton Keynes-based outfit in the long run.
