Helmut Marko has now admitted he fears Red Bull could face a ‘difficult’ time at the Austrian Grand Prix if a ‘problem’ which has blighted the Formula 1 team continues.
The pinnacle of motorsport heads to Styria this week for round 11 of the season hot off Max Verstappen winning the Spanish GP. F1 is in the middle of its first triple-header of 2024, with the British GP to follow next Sunday. But Marko does not expect an easy time faces Red Bull.
Verstappen topping the podium at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya was his and Red Bull’s seventh win in 2024. The 26-year-old seized on Lando Norris’ poor start and an early pass on George Russell to run to glory. Although Norris threatened a late challenge in Montmelo.
Helmut Marko fears the Sprint format could trouble Red Bull at the Austrian GP
But Formula 1 teams also face the third Sprint of the term at the Austrian GP this weekend. Verstappen won the first two Sprints of the season at the Chinese GP and the Miami GP. Yet Marko fears the format could see Red Bull struggle at the track their parent company owns.
Red Bull motorsport advisor Marko believes the team from Milton Keynes are not certain to win again at the Red Bull Ring as they are struggling to optimism their car. He feels the RB20 needs all three practice sessions to find the ideal set-up, but a Sprint weekend only has one.
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F1 teams can adapt their set-ups following the Sprint but cannot experiment with it outside of FP1. So, while Verstappen is the most successful driver in the history of the Austrian GP, it is by no means certain that the Dutchman gives Red Bull a fifth Grand Prix win on home soil.
“Another challenge awaits us in Spielberg,” Marko has told Speedweek. “Max always has a chance of winning. But we will be racing there in a Sprint format weekend and that means we only have one session to set up the car.
“Recently, however, we have always needed all three practice sessions to get the car somewhat balanced. And if this problem persists, it could make life difficult for us.”
McLaren and Mercedes have reduced Red Bull and Max Verstappen’s advantage
Verstappen may have won the Sprint at the Miami GP and taken pole position for the Grand Prix but he was rarely happy with Red Bull’s car. The three-time champion surprised himself with pole for the Sprint, too, noting: “Lol. What happened to the others? This was terrible.”
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Tyres proved to be a main cause of Verstappen’s issues in Florida. F1’s Sprint rules force the teams to use a fresh set of mediums for SQ1, unused mediums in SQ2 and new soft tyres for SQ3. But one 60-minute practice session stops the teams from fully apprehending the tyres.
With McLaren and Mercedes both hot on Red Bull’s heels coming into the Austrian GP, then, Marko has reason to fear the team face a ‘difficult’ time. Especially given Red Bull would not find a set-up for the Monaco GP with three practice sessions and Verstappen ended it in P6.
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