Red bull’s Helmut Marko has shed some light on his expectations for the 2023 season and the Mercedes threat the Austrian fears this season.
Red bull finished the 2022 season on the top. The team was extremely dominant last year with Max Verstappen securing an unprecedented 15 wins. The side claimed both Drivers’ and Constructors’ titles as they look to defend them this year:
“Yes, we want to defend both titles,” said Helmut Marko.
“But I don’t expect a season as dominant as 2022.”
Helmut Marko is also fearful of Mercedes even though the Brackley-based squad failed to pull off any major threats last year. The 79-year-old Red bull boss eventually did recognize the Ferrari threat too for this season.
“If you take the team structures, driver personalities and qualities, Mercedes is our strongest opponent,” Marko told Krone newspaper.
“They have proven in the past that they are very good strategically. Russell is getting stronger and Hamilton taking points away is a good thing.
“But Ferrari has solved its reliability problem and now has more power,” Marko acknowledged.
Red bull’s wind tunnel time was cut by 10% due to the minor budget cap breach the team did in 2021. Marko has admitted the penalty has affected the team. The Milton Keynes-based squad couldn’t afford to do too much experimentation with last year’s design:
“We had no room for experimentation,” Marko admits.
“But last year we had the best car, so if this one – which was finished on time – works, which I’m sure of, the uneasy feeling will be quite modest,” Marko said just before the start of the pre-season testing in Bahrain.
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