F1 News: Helmut Marko Beams After RB20 Testing - "We All Were Smiling A Lot"
The Red Bull RB20 demonstrated promising performance in the first day of pre-season testing. Helmut Marko, the team's advisor, expressed immense satisfaction with the car's performance, noting the team's positive response to the new design.
Key Takeaways:
- Max Verstappen led the test day in the RB20, setting a pace 1.1 seconds faster than McLaren's Lando Norris.
- The RB20's new design concept proves effective, with the car showing excellent responsiveness to adjustments.
- Helmut Marko highlighted the car's reliability and superior performance compared to competitors, particularly Ferrari and McLaren.
The RB20, a bold departure from its championship-winning predecessor, showcased a leap in design and engineering prowess. Helmut Marko could hardly contain his enthusiasm following the car's impressive outing. He commented to Autosport:
"Very, very, very impressive.
“We ran 142 laps, without any problems, more or less. And the concept is working. So that was the first main thing. The car is reacting, and we are developing. Yeah, it looks good."
The feedback from Max Verstappen, Red Bull's leading driver, was unequivocally positive. Verstappen's experience with the car was telling; his ability to fine-tune the vehicle's performance through various changes spoke volumes about the RB20's potential. Marko continued:
"Positive. Whatever changes we did and whatever we tried, the car was reacting, and more or less it was fine-tuning, what happened now. We all were smiling a lot.”
The decision to overhaul the car's design was not made lightly, with Marko acknowledging the inherent risks. Yet, the gamble appears to have paid off, setting Red Bull apart from its rivals early in the season. While Mercedes grappled with undisclosed issues and Ferrari faced tyre-performance hurdles, the RB20 glided seamlessly around the circuit.
"I mean, it's always a risk. And if you look at Mercedes, they had some problems, and our car was working from the very first lap. So we are very proud and glad.
“Also, the reliability is unbelievable. And [from] what I saw tyre-performance-wise, again, Ferrari has more problems than us.
“Also, the McLaren seems to be a little bit more nervous. Mercedes, I don't know what they did. For sure they are faster than what they have shown. But we can be confident."