Dr. Helmut Marko has indicated that Red Bull might find this weekend's race in Monaco more challenging than previous events.
In the 2024 season so far, the energy drink giant's leading Formula 1 team has not only maintained but also increased its dominance, with triple world champion Max Verstappen steering the success. "Five weekends, five different race tracks, five pole positions for Max Verstappen, four victories," said Marko, the senior team advisor from Austria, who celebrated his 81st birthday recently, during an interview with Speed Week.
"At this point we can reasonably say that we have a car that is fast on any type of track," he added.
Marko also expressed satisfaction with the inconsistent performances of Red Bull's main competitors, Ferrari, McLaren, and Mercedes. "That pleases me," he stated, "because it means our lead increases if someone else is always finishing behind us. We were amazed in China when Lando Norris was the second force."
Nonetheless, Marko acknowledged some concerns for Red Bull. "The tyre wear in Melbourne was unusually high for us," he noted. "So we're fast, yes, but the track surface and the circuit can make a difference."
He specifically pointed out that upcoming races in Miami and Monaco could see their rivals closing the gap, especially as they have improved in qualifying. "Where our opponents could get a little closer to us are Miami and Monaco, especially as they have gotten closer to us in qualifying. I can imagine that it won't be easy to be in pole position there."
Marko is still optimistic about their competitiveness in Miami, despite differing conditions. "But I do expect us to still be competitive in Miami, even if the conditions are completely different again - warm and humid. We'll have to see how sensitive the tyres are to changes in the conditions," he explained.
"We will fight for victory," Marko concluded, "but which of our pursuers has the best day will play a big role and this will continue to vary depending on the track."
