Up until the Australian Grand Prix, there were still slight doubts as to whether Ferrari or perhaps Red Bull had built the most powerful car in Formula 1 in 2022. In Melbourne, however, the Scuderia brushed those doubts aside with an impressive performance. That made an impression on Helmut Marko, among others.
At the Australian Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc demonstrated a dominance in his Ferrari that has only been seen by Mercedes and occasionally Red Bull in recent years.
In the end, the Monegasque lead was “only” 20 seconds, but felt it could have been a full minute. This is particularly worrying for Red Bull.
“Two or three things” play a role in the gap between the Red Bulls and the Scuderia at the moment, according to Helmut Marko after the race. “Firstly, the problems with reliability, which we hardly had last year,” said the consultant to “ServusTV”. In addition, the gap to the Reds in Melbourne was “alarming”.
“They controlled the pace without having any problems with the graining. When Max stepped on the gas, Leclerc was able to react without any problems,” added Marko, who admitted that his team was “negatively surprised” by the Ferrari speed.
What gives Red Bull food for thought is the apparently gentle handling of the tires by the Reds. “They had almost no graining, we got it after a few laps. Ferrari finds a good balance with the car easier,” said Marko.
Formula 1: Red Bull struggles with being overweight
The Austrian recognized another shortcoming in the weight advantage of the Scuderia. “We are clearly heavier than Ferrari. I think the handicap is around ten kilos. Calculated on the lap time, that’s about three tenths,” the consultant calculated.
Worrying from Red Bull’s point of view: The disadvantage cannot be compensated for either easily or quickly.
“Reducing the weight is expensive. First, it’s a financial problem and second, it’s related to reliability. The budget cap makes it a difficult balancing act,” said Marko, who predicted a “difficult time” for his own team.
For the upcoming race in Imola, the consultant has already announced a small upgrade that will help reduce weight. “If it works like our first update, we can be on par with Ferrari with the package,” says Marko, for whom reliability plays an even more important role, because: “If you don’t finish, it’s a fast car useless.”