Helmut Marko said that the Taurus model for 2022 can be even faster - and therefore, to be beating Ferrari - even with a few extra kilograms - is great news
The weight of the car has been one of the biggest challenges for the teams on the 2022 Formula 1 grid, it is undeniable. Even with the FIA (International Automobile Federation) increasing the minimum limit from 752kg to 795kg, teams are still struggling to slim down their respective cars. Red Bull is one such team that suffers from being overweight.
Even so, the team is highly successful this season: leader of the Constructors' World Championship, 36 points ahead of Ferrari; leader of the Drivers' Championship, with Max Verstappen; and, of course, the fact that the last four races of F1 2022 were all won by the Taurinos.
Precisely because of this, Red Bull consultant Helmut Marko avoids worrying about the RB18's excess weight. On the contrary: if the car is able to compete head-to-head with Ferrari as it is, when it slims down and gains its tenths that are "in reserve", it will be even more consolidated in the leading pack.
"Losing weight doesn't happen overnight. So it's a positive point that we still have a few tenths of a second 'in reserve' - once we reach the minimum weight of the car. We are still very heavy. But we think Ferrari is more or less at the weight limit, while Mercedes has the same amount as us," Marko analyzed.
Speaking of Mercedes, the Red Bull consultant couldn't miss the opportunity to talk about the German team. This time, however, in a light tone: he acknowledged the Silver Arrows' pace, but pointed out the W13's inconsistent speed. However, Marko made it clear that the yellow light is on among the Taurinos: if Toto Wolff and his squad get the car's hand right, then the team definitely enters the fray.
"Mercedes does incredibly fast laps in free practice and also in the race, both with Hamilton and Russell. But they are not continuous, so for us it is difficult to interpret where such lap times are coming from. I don't think they know either. But the danger is that apparently, there is potential there. And once they maintain that performance for the length of a race, then they will be in the front group," he opined.
Finally, Marko gave his analysis of the race between Red Bull and Ferrari. According to the Taurine consultant, the fact that the Italian outfit had secured the front row at the Monaco GP last race does not reflect the true relative performance between the two teams.
"The free practice results in Monte Carlo say nothing about the real balance of power between Red Bull and Ferrari. Max (Verstappen) had problems in one corner in all four sessions, which cost us three tenths of a second," he said.
"In sector two and three, Verstappen was 0s1 away, sometimes ahead of the leader. On his last lap of practice, he finally successfully completed the first sector and, according to our predictions, could at least be on the front row. I don't think Leclerc would have been caught up anyway, but those three, four tenths behind that we had don't show the true div" Marko concluded.