Red Bull consultant Helmut Marko has played down fears that Adrian Newey has come up with something ultra-special for the RB19 which Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez will campaign in 2023 while scoffing at Ferrari power-gain rumours.
This season is the second of this generation of Formula 1 cars, the rules introduced last year with an all-new concept that Red Bull’s ace designer Newey and his team at Milton Keynes nailed faster than any other team, Verstappen’s second title as well as winning a record 17 of the 22 Grand Prix races a testament to its effectiveness
But Marko is not so sure they will have such a big advantage this time around, the Austrian told Kronen Zeitung ahead of F1 testing in Bahrain on Thursday: “We want to defend both titles but I don’t expect a season as dominant as 2022.
As for the Red Bull RB19, Marko revealed: “Since not much has changed in terms of the regulations, we assume that we have a good package. The bottom is a bit shorter, plus a few small things but I’m not an engineer.
“There is an increase in performance that we can tap into without affecting reliability but the numbers that are buzzing around from Ferrari are certainly not,” he added, refuting claims of Ferrari gains over the winter.
Asked if he was nervous after the wind-tunnel restrictions imposed on the team for breaching F1’s cost cap, Marko replied: “We knew that our work had to be done in the wind tunnel, there was no room for experimentation.
“In 2022 we had the best car – if this one, which was finished on time, works, which I’m convinced will, I can report being only modestly nervous.”
Honda remains committed to winning titles with Red Bull until the end of 2025
Red Bull will partner with Ford in 2026, while Honda remains in the picture, their plans as always blurry, however, they are committed to RBR until they part ways in 2025 says Marko of their Japanese partner: “They have promised us that they will work optimally until the end of 2025 in order to win more titles.”
Belief in Red Bull’s driver line-up, of Verstappen and Pertez, is also sky-high for the Doctor: “We will see an even more confident Max due to his routine. How he has evolved is remarkable. In addition, he has become a real tire whisperer and has an incredible overview in the race.
“Sergio grows with Max. And he had to put up with a teammate like Verstappen for three years. Sergio didn’t break down, that’s a strong performance. But in terms of speed, Max is clearly superior throughout the season.”
As for their rivals, Marko predicted: “If you take the team structures, driver personalities and qualities, Mercedes is our strongest opponent. They have proven in the past that they are very good strategically. Russell getting stronger and taking points away from Hamilton is a glimmer of hope.
“Ferrari has solved the stability problem and now has more power…” concluded Marko, whose team’s 2022 F1 constructors title was the first since Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber did the business for them in 2013; they are favorites to make it two in a row this year if the RB19 obliges.