Helmut Marko concedes Verstappen will be behind Norris in Melbourne, acknowledging McLaren’s edge as the 2025 Formula 1 season kicks off.
Dr. Helmut Marko provided a straightforward assessment of the current hierarchy ahead of the 2025 Formula 1 season.
Following the sole pre-season test in Bahrain, Red Bull’s advisor stated regarding Melbourne: “Lando Norris will be ahead, behind him will be Max Verstappen, then Ferrari with Charles Leclerc and the Mercedes cars. Hamilton still seems to be struggling with his Ferrari, so I see him further back with Piastri and Lawson.”
For the championship, however, he expects a close battle.
“I think it will be a three- or four-way fight between McLaren, Mercedes, Ferrari, and Red Bull. But looking at the results, McLaren already has a slight edge, which was evident in both short and long runs during testing.”
“Only on Wednesday were we as fast as McLaren. On Friday, the final day, I think we lost around two to three tenths of a second per lap in long runs.”
Moreover, Marko noted that “McLaren’s tire wear was significantly better than our data had suggested.”
“It would have been ideal if all the adjustments and innovations on the RB21 had worked perfectly right away. But at least the car is more predictable. It responds correctly to technical inputs. It’s not as erratic as last year.”
“Some new parts worked, others didn’t. But that means there is still room for development and improvement with what we have at the moment.”
Marko, however, refuses to panic.
“We have made progress, but we are still two or three tenths behind. There is absolutely no reason to worry for now, though it would have been ideal if our developments had worked from the start.”
“We have taken a step forward, but McLaren is simply the favorite at the moment.”
“McLaren’s advantage is that they once again have a car that performs very well on any type of tire.”
“If the car is not optimal, we still have our joker—Max—who can showcase his genius.”
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McLaren Leads F1 Battle as Red Bull Plays Catch-Up McLaren Leads F1 Battle as Red Bull Plays Catch-Up
