Helmut Marko may be a Red Bull employee, but even he is “frustrated” by Mercedes' inconsistent form as F1 enters its third season with ground-effect aerodynamic cars.
Mercedes dominated F1 when it introduced its 1.6-litre turbocharged V6 engine in 2014, but Lewis Hamilton lost the crown in 2021 in a fierce battle with Max Verstappen.
“But it's always just a momentary event.”
At the time, no one expected that this would be the last season in which a British athlete would win a Grand Prix, let alone compete for a world title.
Mercedes was beaten out a year later by new ground effect aero regulations introduced in 2022, but Red Bull emerged with a car designed by Adrian Newey.
In all but seven races since the new technological era began, the team has won back-to-back championship doubles with even more silverware this season.
By contrast, Mercedes, which overhauled its cars this year, would briefly pick up the pace, only to struggle in the next race, if not the next day.
It irritates Marco and he doesn't belong on the team.
Asked whether there should be an “alarm bell” ringing for Brackley, he told OE24: “It probably will be ringing anyway.”
“What's very frustrating to me is that the cars sometimes go very fast, sometimes at absolute peak times.
“Then I think, ‘Look, they got it!’ But it’s always just a fleeting moment.”
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Asked about former F1 driver Christian Danner's recent comments that Niki Lauda would have come through the crisis “better” than Toto Wolff, Lauda defended his team principal.
“It's not that simple,” he said. “But it doesn't slump like this overnight. What's concerning is that they haven't been competitive heading into their third season.”
With Mercedes not participating and Ferrari not yet at the same level as Red Bull, Verstappen has won three of the four races this season with a 1-2 result.
The only race Red Bull missed was Australia, where the Dutchman retired and Carlos Sainz gave Ferrari the win.
Concerns have been raised about F1's declining TV ratings in the face of a season in which Red Bull's dominance once again increases.
Marko replied, “However, interest in racing continues. For example, the Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring attracts over 30,000 Dutch people and is already almost sold out.''
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