The season opener races have always been a reality check for all ten Formula One teams. But this year, it gave the fans a surprising result. We saw Aston Martin climbing up the bridge, filling the gaps. We also saw Mercedes becoming a fourth and a backward team and Ferrari struggling to get on the podiums. But the most important thing that we noticed is the one-two finish of Red Bull.
Earlier, it was a doubt, but now it has been confirmed that Red Bull’s dominance that started in 2022 will persist in 2023 too. However, this is not what Red Bull’s advisor, Helmut Marko figured out from the Bahrain Grand Prix. Apparently, he does not believe that in every race, Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez will do the same. Why? Let’s see.
Helmut Marko Explains Why Is It Not Red Bull Dominace Yet
Like everyone, Marko does not want to deny the fact that Red Bull, indeed, is dominating. But he fears to claim that the team is “dominant” enough to win all the 23 races going to be held in 2023. In the Bahrain Grand Prix, Max Verstappen was the fastest driver and unbeatable, no doubt. But Sergio Perez was given the P2 podium because Ferrari ace Charles Leclerc retired prematurely due to a power unit issue. It was the first race, and with the first race, one can figure out the mistakes in the car. One can never predict the future of a team. Red Bull was dominant at Sakhir, but it is uncertain for Jeddah; what if Ferrari or Aston Martin replaced them?
“Ferrari is very, very strong in terms of race pace. It is nonsense [to say that Red Bull will win each race of the sason]. You can’t say it after just one race. Just a mistake in the setup [can lead you to lose], as it happened to Red Bull in Brazil last year,” said the advisor of Red Bull,” said the Red Bull advisor.
Red Bull Advisor Advises Mercedes To Look At The Cost Cap Budget Before Bringing The Developments
Not only Ferrari and Aston are a problem, Mercedes too has proved to itself last year that it can bring the required upgrades in order to defeat others. We saw it in the Brazilian GP 2022. In Bahraiin 2023, Mercedes did not deliver what it was expected to; Lewis Hamilton and George Russell finished with P5 and p7, respectively. But Helmut Marko is afraid that the German squad will definitely undergo developments and progress. In an interview with oe24, the Red Bull advisor said, “Mercedes apparently was lost somewhere [at Sakhir last weekend]. Now I am curious to know how they will proceed further.”
He even counted on the problems that the Brackley team may face in terms of bringing developments. Looking at the way W14 is performing, one thing is very much clear, Mercedes needs to change the entire concept of the car; otherwise, it will not be able to optimize at the same level as its rivals. But they will have to keep in mind that the cost cap budget is a handicap for them. Hemut explained that due to the cost cap, bringing innovations is already a problem in developing the car further. And how are Mercedes supposed to bring a new car is a question that needs to be answered.
Now according to Helmut Marko, Mercedes needs to have a “golden shot,” But based on what they have been achieving so far with the W14, he would not assume it. Hemlut believes that the Silver Arrows has not made any progress from 2022. The distances, the gaps, the step backward, all are the same. Now for the relief, know that Toto Wolff has already given a statement claiming that the cost cap budget will not limit them from upgrades. It was not a problem last year, nor will it be this year.