Helmut Marko is delighted Mercedes have joined the fight with the likes of McLaren and Ferrari for podium places.
Red Bull have been under pressure from both those teams over the last six weeks. And Mercedes produced a strong performance last time out at the Canadian Grand Prix which suggested that they too have made performance gains that put them into contention.
On the face of it, adding Lewis Hamilton and George Russell to the list of potential rivals for race wins could be bad news for championship leaders Red Bull. But the team’s long-serving super adviser Marko is looking on the bright side.
Writing in his Speedweek column, he said of the current balance of power on the grid: “The three upcoming races in Spain, Austria and England will give us a more accurate picture of the current status of the various racing cars. These are classic tracks, while we have some atypical circuits behind us – Miami, Imola, Monaco, Montreal.
“The competition has made up ground, no question about it, but we are not worried. There are further improvements to the car, which are promising based on the data.
“McLaren was as strong in Canada as it was on the previous GP weekends, Mercedes was stronger, but Ferrari was weaker. This up and down can be explained by the specific vehicle and track, and also by who is best at getting the tires into the best working window on the respective weekend and in the very special track conditions.
“This situation is a great advantage for us, that the pursuers are constantly taking turns. We don’t have one opponent, but three, who are snatching points from each other. I hope it stays that way.”
Red Bull’s rivals were helped in the most recent rounds by circuits which did not favour the leaders’ cars. The RB20s are weak on bumps and curbs due to their stiffer suspension designs, yet Max Verstappen was still able to win in Montreal – earning effusive praise from Marko for his efforts.
The Austrian said: “Max managed his pace masterfully. He always showed an uncanny instinct for the course of the race and picked up speed at the right times. The best example is the situation after the tyre stop – how he decisively pulled away from Lando Norris so that the Englishman didn’t have the opportunity to flatten his rear wing to attack. In the end, that was the decisive factor.
“Verstappen also complained in Canada that the car does not handle well on the kerbs. Here, the data from the simulator does not match reality, as was already evident last year in Singapore. In general, our car is not the best at driving on kerbs.”