“There’s no reason we aren’t favourites again”: Helmut Marko is confident that Red Bull and Mercedes will lead the pack again

Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko believes that we will see Red Bull and Mercedes at the front again even with regulation changes. 

2021 was a close-fought season between Red Bull and the Silver Arrows. Notably, Max Verstappen won his maiden Drivers’ Championship and Mercedes clinched an eighth consecutive Constructors Championship. 

The new FIA regulations have come with expectations of a shakeup in the field. The introduction of hybrid power units gave way to Mercedes dominance. Things could change just as quickly.

On the other hand, Red Bull’s Helmut Marko believes that the front row will remain the same. Talking about the development of the new car, Marko said, “We had two different development programs running in 202 and both worked.”

He dispelled any talk of Red Bull sacrificing next year’s project to work on 2021’s car. 

“All I can say is that we want to defend Max Verstappen’s title and are very well positioned to do so”, Marko added.

Helmut Marko says it’s the same for rivals Mercedes. “There’s no reason to believe that Mercedes and we aren’t the favourites again this year. Unless someone has found the philosopher’s stone in the new regulations.”, Marko commented. 

Out with the old, in with the new Fresh for 2022 pic.twitter.com/x6nltgolNU

— Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) January 19, 2022

Read More: Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko wants the new FIA president to strengthen the rules in F1

Red Bull aren’t the only one’s confident about next season

Many teams have come out with optimistic outlooks for the upcoming season—one of the most promising teams being Ferrari. 

Ferrari’s drivers have shown their pace and consistency this season. Further there have been reports coming out of their camp of steady development. Considering this, they have a real chance of competing for the title next season. 

“I think that the team made significant innovations”, team principal Matti Binotto told reporters.

Read More: F1 expert is optimistic about Ferrari’s chances in the coming season