Helmut Marko was present in the paddock as Max Verstappen, and Sergio Perez finished 1st and 2nd in the 2023 Bahrain GP. This was Max’s first win in the circuit, and has strengthened his hold on his title by winning the first race of the season.
While it was a delightful day for Red Bull, Ferrari’s misery continues. Charles Leclerc was forced to retire after an engine issue. The Monegasque was running 3rd when his power unit gave up.
Carlos Sainz limped to finish 4th. But the race showed neither of the two Ferraris could match Red Bul’s speed. In fact, after Fernando Alonso overtook Sainz for the podium, it was clear that even Aston Martin could match the Italian team.
The showdown in Bahrain confirmed that Ferrari isn’t closer to Red Bull as expected. But Marko asserts the team never solved the root cause of their problems; reliability
Also Read: Why Fernando Alonso Finishing P3 in Bahrain Is Ominous Sign for Max Verstappen
Helmut Marko pours salt on Ferrari’s wounds
During the Winter break, reports suggested that Ferrari had found 20-30 extra HP of power in their 2023 Power Unit. But Helmut Marko claims the added power will come to no use if the team do not solve their reliability issues.
The Red Bull Advisor accepts that Ferrari has the more powerful engine. To which the Austrian simply remarked, “What’s the point of having the more powerful engine if isn’t it reliable?”
Charles Leclerc’s woes will continue in the upcoming Saudi Arabian GP. Ferrari might have to replace its energy store and control units, which will incur a 20-place grid drop for the Monegasque.
Ferrari’s top speed is a threat, claims Marko. He also believes Mercedes will improve over the course of the season. But the reality is that Red Bull is a league apart from the rest of the grid.
Marko praises Red Bull’s improvements
Helmut Marko was satisfied seeing Red Bull cruise to victory in Bahrain. But he believes the team have made massive progress, such that they do not have a close competitor on the grid.
Max’s speed was unmatchable, and this was no surprise to the Austrian Advisor. In fact, Marko insists that the simulation runs in the Pre-season tests showed that RB19 has vastly improved.
However, Marko believes had Charles remained in the race, things would have been different. He said, ” If Leclerc had stayed in the race, however, I think the gap from the others would have been different.”
When comparing last year’s lap times, Ferrari’s SF-23 only managed to beat its predecessor by 0.003 seconds. At the same time, the RB19 was 0.7 seconds faster than the RB18. Although Red Bull had a much heavier car last year in Bahrain and had reliability issues of their own, you have to praise the team’s improvement.
Red Bull also orchestrated a fantastic tyre strategy. While Verstappen and Perez deserve the credit for managing their tyres, Marko believes Bahrian’s “special Asphalt” helped them.
While it’s difficult to predict the season based on the first race results, it’s safe to assume Red Bull and Max Verstappen successfully defended their titles. And if Ferrari wants to get anywhere closer, they need to find a solution to Enging troubles soon.
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