Red Bull's RB19 & Mercedes' W14

Arnab Bose

“Red Bull Powertrains Way Ahead Of Its F1 Counterparts,” Insists Advisor Helmut Marko

Red Bull is the undeniable dominant team of the current Formula One era. They have successfully developed the fastest car on the grid for two seasons in a row. Last year, the Austrian team won 17 races. A lot of credit goes to Max Verstappen, who alone won 15 races. In the cost cap era, designer Adrian Newey’s car and Honda’s engine have been a deadly combination. No other team came close to the Milton Keynes team in these two years.

In the current season as well, team Red Bull has won all the races so far. It is very clear who and which team is going to bag all the titles. Albeit, there are ten more races to go. However, Max Verstappen and Red Bull are way ahead of the rest in the Driver’s and Constructor’s titles, respectively. On the other hand, Helmut Marko feels that there is nothing to worry about Red Bull being technically fallen behind before the 2026 engine regulations.

   

Helmut Marko Believes Red Bull Is Miles Ahead Of Its Rivals

Christian Horner Helmut Marko Red Bull
Christian Horner Helmut Marko Red Bull Source: Daily Express

Recently in an interview with Motorsport-Total.com, Helmut Marko explained that Red Bull is way ahead of the rest. He elaborates on the claim saying they have got the best people coming from Mercedes, Ferrari, Cosworth, mainly for the engine department, and also Renault. In that sector, Red Bull has got a partner in Ford. Moreover, Red Bull’s advisor emphasized the fact that they have the top people regarding combustion engines. On top of that, they have a couple of brilliant minds in the electric department as well.

Moreover, Helmut Marko pointed out that the complete combustion engine with MGU-K and the battery is still running in August. Adding to that, Red Bull’s advisor mentioned they are miles ahead of Ferrari and Audi. But with Mercedes is right up about. Later, Helmut Marko answers the criticism his team got after opposing the engine rules. He mentioned that the rules requiring 50% of the power to come from batteries will increase the weight of the car. The increase in a car’s weight can directly affect more crashes like Verstappen’s crash in the 2021 British Grand Prix.           

Helmut Marko Feels Other Teams Must Understand The Significance Of The 2026 Engine Regulations

Max Verstappen Helmut Marko Red Bull
Max Verstappen Helmut Marko Red Bull Source: PlanetF1

The introduction of the cost cap regulations has been highly fruitful for Red Bull. No other team or driver has been so dominant in a single season. But these rules have caused the Milton Keynes team troubles at the same time. They had to pay the penalty for breaching the cost cap limit back in 2021. Red Bull had to pay a fine of $7 million and a 10% reduction in the wind tunnel time. But F1A and F1 keep introducing more rules and regulations for the upcoming seasons.

Red Bull has not been a big supporter of the engine rules specifically for 2026. They believe other teams are not seeing what they are expecting to happen due to these rules. Moreover, Red Bull’s advisor mentioned other teams do not understand the gravity of the situation yet. According to Helmut Marko, teams must understand why these engine regulations can hamper the development of the car. The Ferrari boss, Fred Vasseur, mentioned it is too early to think about the 2026 season.