F1 News: Marko Rubbishes Notion of Verstappen Winning 2024 Championship In RB19

The Red Bull advisor strongly emphasizes that Max Verstappen cannot win championships this year in the 2023 car.

Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko dismissed the idea that Max Verstappen could secure the 2024 championship using the 2023 car, the RB19. The Red Bull advisor acknowledged the significant advancements made by rival teams, notably McLaren's B-spec car, which narrowed the performance gap with the RB19 in the latter part of the previous season.

Key Takeaways:

• Helmut Marko, the Red Bull advisor, refuted claims that Max Verstappen could win the 2024 championship using the 2023 car, RB19. Marko acknowledged the advancements made by rivals, particularly McLaren's B-spec car, which closed the performance gap towards the end of the previous season.
• Despite high expectations from Verstappen, who dominated with 19 wins in the RB19 in 2023, Marko dismissed the notion that Verstappen could secure the 2024 championship with the previous car. He emphasized the inconsistency of rival teams like McLaren.
• Marko affirmed that the 2024 title contender, the RB20, is an improved package overall, but uncertainty remains about its performance as the progress of rival teams is yet unknown. Clarity on this front is expected during pre-testing in Bahrain on 21 February, with Marko highlighting the evolution of the new car from the successful 2023 model.

High expectations surround 2023 champion Verstappen, who clinched victory in 19 out of 22 Grands Prix in his RB19 last year, contributing to Red Bull's overall 21 wins. While Sergio Perez secured the remaining two victories for the team, Verstappen's dominance underscores the formidable partnership between the three-time world champion and a potent car.

Consequently, it was even suggested that he could win the 2024 championship this year even if he raced in the RB19. However, Marko rubbished that claim as he pointed out how close the McLaren team got last year. He told OE24:

“That’s nonsense.

“Last year we had the B McLaren already come close on certain tracks, but they were not consistent enough.”

While Marko acknowledges the baseless nature of the claim, he affirms that the 2024 title contender, the RB20, is an improved package overall. However, he expresses uncertainty about its performance as the progress of rival teams is still unknown. The clarity on this front is expected to emerge during the pre-testing in Bahrain next week on 21 February. He added:

“That will become clear during the tests in Bahrain next week.

“What you can already say is that the new car is an evolution of last year’s car, and we had the best package.

“If we eliminate the few weak points, not much should go wrong. But who knows, maybe a competitor has managed a special trick during development.”

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