Everyone closer, but the game had yet to really begin. This could be the summary of Helmut Marko's words pronounced at the end of the second free practice session of the Bahrain Grand Prix. In reality, when the Red Bull Racing consultant speaks, there is always much, much more and it deserves to be explored in depth, without settling for a banal synopsis.
The Austrian, the true voice and soul of the Milton Keynes team, took stock of the day for the team still managed by Christian Horner. No best time to make a sensation, but a race pace that scares her, quite a bit, into her direct rivals. All seasoned with an engine mapping that is certainly not extreme, which is a further shiver down the spine for those who may soon find themselves chasing the cars created by the technical department supervised by Adrian Newey again.
“Our race pace is good, but qualifying will be different. We will all be very close. However, I believe that in the first 2 free practice sessions not everyone used the same engine maps, so we are not worried. We lapped with the less thorough mapping that we have”.
“Max was the fastest rider on race pace. Checo is quite close, and that's a good thing. But the whole grid is closer. So on the grid, 2 tenths of a difference could make you start in front or 5 places back.”
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, Helmut Marko
Photo by: Erik Junius
According to Marko, this year too Ferrari should be very fast on the flying lap, perhaps the main rival of the RB20s, but in terms of race pace the Mercedes should be able to take over as Red Bull's challenger.
“I believe that Ferrari can be ahead in qualifying, it should be. In the race, however, we have normally seen that Mercedes is stronger.”
In short, a Red Bull still ahead of everyone. At least according to Marko, who sees his rivals fighting exclusively for second place for the second consecutive year. More than a prediction, almost a threat for those who have ambitions to oust the Austro-British team from the throne on which it has stood since the end of 2021.
“I hope and believe that we should be ahead on all the tracks, but our opponents, I believe, will change depending on the track and their state of form at the specific moment. So I believe that 2024 will be very similar to last season. It will change often our first opponent and this will give us an advantage.”
#Marko #bis #fighting #2nd #place
