Red Bull Insider Warns Championship Points Will "Melt Away" Amid Cost Cap Penalty

Helmut Marko says Red Bull do not have the championship "in the bag".

Red Bull may have taken the crown in 2022, but things are heating up for the Milton Keynes-based squad in the 2023 Formula 1 season. Red Bull Motorsport Advisor, Helmut Marko, believes that their advantage in aerodynamic development will "melt away" as the impact of their wind tunnel penalty comes into play.

This season, Red Bull was slapped with a 10% reduction in aero development time and a hefty $7 million fine after they were found to have breached the cost cap en route to Max Verstappen's 2021 driver's title win. While Red Bull claims that they've limited the sanction's impact so far in the development of their RB19, they know the road ahead won't be easy.

As the season progresses, Red Bull's rivals will have more time to develop their aerodynamics, giving them a chance to close the gap. Marko acknowledges that they're far from relaxed despite their comfortable position in front right now.

In an interview with Formel1.de, Marko revealed that Red Bull prepared for the season optimally despite the penalty. They had to be efficient in the wind tunnel and have a clear plan for each run. For now, they've managed to stay on top of things, but the coming months will be a different story. He explained:

“We prepared ourselves optimally for the season. Once we knew that this penalty would be imposed, it was clear that, when we went into the wind tunnel, it had to be done in an efficient manner and each run with a clear plan.

“At the moment, we've managed to do all that. But, of course, as the season progresses and we run out of wind tunnel time, the others will still have that available and our lead will then melt away.

“That's why it's extremely important that we take the points with us now.”

The impact of the penalty will come into play, and Red Bull knows their lead will start to disappear as their rivals will have more development time. Hence, the team is focused on taking as many points as possible while they still have the edge.

Red Bull may have dominated the season opener in Bahrain, but Marko believes that the performance of his team is not indicative of how they'll fare at every track. He shrugged off Mercedes driver George Russell's claim that Red Bull will win every race this season, saying that it's not that easy. He continued:

“No. So this statement by Russell can perhaps be explained by the current frustration of the Bahrain race.

“It was a race on a specific circuit where the surface is extremely rough, which means that tyre wear plays a very big role.

“Yes, we put in a good performance. But so much for winning all the races and having the world championship title in the bag. If it were that easy, it would be nice.”

Marko explained that the surface in Bahrain is extremely rough, and tyre wear plays a significant role, making it challenging for teams to stay ahead. Although Red Bull put in a good performance in Bahrain, they're not ready to rest on their laurels just yet.

Marko admitted that the team is slightly confused about why they struggled to find a good balance with their RB19 in practice in Bahrain. He explained that they had a super balanced car during the test in Bahrain, but on Friday, they suddenly had strong understeer, something that Max doesn't like at all.

However, Marko dismissed the rumours that their difficulties were triggered by having to raise the ride height to overcome problems with their plank rubbing, saying that the story isn't true like that. He added:

“No, that story is not true like that. We had a super balanced car during the test [in Bahrain] and on the Friday we suddenly had relatively strong understeer. That’s something Max doesn't like at all.

“But other teams had that, too. It must have been another factor - maybe sand, temperature, whatever. And then we painstakingly, I have to say, found our way back to a set-up that allowed Max to drive to pole position and then also to take the win.”