After spending the majority of the turbo-hybrid era under Mercedes’ shadow, Red Bull returned to the top of F1 over the last two years. Max Verstappen won the drivers’ championship for them in 2021, and they managed to bag both titles in 2022.
Heading into the 2023 season, they are once again the favorites to lift both titles. However, behind the scenes, it seems like there are turbulent times ahead for the Milton-Keynes-based outfit. This is according to former Dutch Formula 1 driver Christijan Albers. He feels that there is a time bomb ticking at Red Bull, and it going to start with Helmut Marko’s removal.
Marko has been with Red Bull as an advisor since day one and has played a huge role in establishing them as one of the top teams in F1. However, according to Albers, factors other than results on the racing track have prompted the management to decide on firing him.
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Why would Red Bull’s management remove Helmut Marko?
The results have been perfect for Red Bull on track but most of the credit for that goes to team principal Christian Horner and Chief Technical Officer Adrian Newey. The two of them are seen as key leaders in the management and are the favored ones when it comes to representing the team in front of the media.
In his interview with The Telegraaf, Albers feels that Marko’s habit of being unfiltered and candid with the journalists is what certain figures in Red Bull don’t like.
“I feel like they’re just trying to get rid of that Marko a little bit,” Albers said. “Especially when I hear that they try to control certain journalists and that less can be spoken to Marko.”
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What to expect from Red Bull in 2023?
At the 2022 pre-season test, Red Bull and Ferrari looked on par when it came to pace. This year’s test, however, gave, the impression that Red Bull is the fastest team till now. They looked faster than Ferrari and Mercedes, who were tipped to be their main rivals for the season.
Verstappen made history in 2021 by becoming the first Dutch world champion in the sport’s history and he followed it up with another win last season. If Red Bull has the fastest car in 2023 too, it is highly likely that the 25-year-old will bag his third consecutive world championship.
Fans, on the other hand, are hoping for a more competitive season this time. Last year’s title race was one-sided in favor of Verstappen and that is something they want to see change in 2023.
