Helmut Marko Delivers Blow To Red Bull With Pessimistic Outlook

Saajan Jogia | Sep 2, 2024

Sergio Perez of Mexico driving the (11) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB19 leads Oscar Piastri of Australia driving the (81) McLaren MCL60 Mercedes and Yuki Tsunoda of Japan driving the (22) Scuderia AlphaTauri AT04 on track during the F1 Grand Prix of Austria at Red Bull Ring on July 02, 2023 in Spielberg, Austria. / Rose/Getty Images

Red Bull senior advisor Helmut Marko revealed that the team plans to introduce new parts for the car in two weeks at Baku for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. However, being realistic, he does not expect the RB20 F1 car to be back to its dominant setup until the United States Grand Prix.

Red Bull is currently grappling with a crisis concerning its title contender, as both Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez have expressed frustration over the RB20's handling issues. The three-time world champion reported significant understeer, which prevented him from using the car’s full power mode during the race at Monza. This resulted in a sixth-place finish, with Perez following closely behind in eighth.

Though the RB20 enabled the Dutchman to secure seven wins in the first ten races, a mid-season upgrade disrupted the car's balance. This was evident when McLaren’s Lando Norris dominated the Dutch Grand Prix, finishing 23 seconds ahead of Verstappen, who crossed the line in second.

McLaren is closing in on Red Bull in the Constructors' Championship, trailing by just 8 points. Meanwhile, Verstappen's lead over Norris in the Drivers' Standings has narrowed to 62 points. With the Papaya team being within striking distance, Red Bull must respond strongly to maintain its lead in both championships.

Marko revealed to De Telegraaf after the Italian Grand Prix that Red Bull will "try something out again" at Baku in two weeks. The expected change sounds like an experiment with different parts to see if the car shows signs of performance gain.

However, the 81-year-old confirmed that Red Bull is unlikely to regain its competitive edge until the United States Grand Prix in Austin on October 21. This means Verstappen will likely struggle in the upcoming races at Baku and Singapore, presenting McLaren with an opportunity to close the gap in both championships.

Marko revealed the importance of finding the "moment" when the team took a "wrong turn." Speaking to Sky Sports Germany, as reported by Motorsportweek.com, he said:

“We have to find the moment when we took the wrong turn.

“Then you have to look at Miami, because at that time we were still dominant. The races Max won after that, he won because of his qualities.”

The senior advisor acknowledged the gravity of the situation and noted that the two weeks leading up to the Azerbaijan GP could provide the team with an opportunity to address and resolve the issues. He added:

“But with the complexity of these cars, it becomes very difficult.

“Thank God we have some time towards the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, because now it was practically impossible to implement anything. But the situation is starting to get serious.”