“Red Bull is betting on 2021″– Helmut Marko says his team will not start the development for 2022 in the pursuit of challenging Mercedes.
For the first time since 2014, Mercedes looks under the threat of losing the title; though Ferrari’s spell in 2019 was also a close call, the new regulation eventually made them toothless.
Lured by the prospect of winning the championship, Helmut Marko has confessed that Red Bull might not carry 2022 preparation from this summer onwards.
“A great euphoria has been triggered – said the Austrian consultant – There is a lot of enthusiasm, and you can feel the passion. The championship will be very long, there are still 19 races to go (in reality, it would be 21), and we must give our all,” Helmut Marko on Servus TV.
“The problem will arise before the summer break, when, in theory, the resources will be shifted to the development of the 2022 single-seater. If we continue to be both so close, I believe that neither Mercedes nor we – certainly not us – will stop in ‘evolution of the machine.”
Head to head, it’s tough to differ.
Marko then analyses the difference between Red Bull and Mercedes and believes that at Imola, Mercedes had a tyre and overall pace advantage, but on pace, his team seemed better.
At Imola, I think Mercedes had the fastest car over the distance of the race, while in the flying lap, we are better. I think the lower temperatures have something to do with it. And the use of the tires also seems a bit better on the Mercedes chassis, at least at the moment.”
After the two rounds, there is only a marginal difference between Red Bull and Mercedes; with the Brackley based team currently topping the chart, it remains to be seen how the competition fares out in the future.
