The words of the Austrian advisor after the first day of testing in Bahrain.
After the first day of pre-season testing in Bahrain, it’s time for the first reflections and statements from the paddock: in particular, Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko focused on the potential rivals of the Austrian team in 2025.
In fact, based on what we saw in the second half of the 2024 season, a fierce battle for the win is expected between Red Bull, Ferrari, McLaren, and Mercedes. Although we’re still at the beginning, these teams occupied the top four positions in the standings at the end of the first day of testing.
Speaking to GPBlog, Helmut Marko shared his first impressions of the Austrian team’s rivals after the first day: “I think that in the beginning, in the morning, the wind was more complicated, especially yesterday. The wind was really tricky. But this is part of testing. However, it’s much colder, so maybe that’s why Mercedes is so fast. McLaren was very consistent and also very fast.”
“Ferrari has been a bit disappointing because we expected more from them. However, there are still two days of testing left, so we’ll see.” This marks the beginning of the first psychological games of the 2025 season, just over three weeks before the season starts in Australia.
The words of Helmut Marko on Red Bull’s program.
The Austrian advisor, on the other hand, seemed very satisfied with Red Bull’s first day on track. “It’s still too early to say anything about the power dynamics, but what I can say is that Max did a great long run and he seems to ‘feel’ the car better compared to last year’s model. Additionally, the new car reacts in a more predictable way. These were our weaknesses in 2024, so it seems like we’ve made a step forward”, stated Helmut Marko to Sky Sport F1 microphones.
Finally, Marko is also satisfied with Liam Lawson’s first outing as an official Red Bull driver: “He did a good job. He just couldn’t find time when he switched from the hard tire to the medium one. I think he changed something on the car that didn’t work. Most gained three to five tenths, he only one.”
PHOTO: Oracle Red Bull Racing, Scuderia Ferrari HP.