Red Bull’s dominance continues as Marko fends off Mercedes’ challenge

Author: Barkha Roy

Red Bull Racing’s impressive run of success continued at the Spanish Grand Prix, with Max Verstappen securing another victory and extending his lead in the drivers’ standings. However, Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko expressed his disappointment with Sergio Perez’s performance, especially his poor start, which cost him a place on the podium.

Despite Pérez’s solid race and his eventual fourth place, Marko believed that a podium was within reach, if it wasn’t for the Mexican driver’s bad start. The exceptional pace of the RB19 had inspired confidence in the team, but Pérez’s initial difficulties left Marko dissatisfied.

Red Bull’s chief engineer, Paul Monaghan, emphasized that there were no differences between the cars driven by Verstappen and Perez. Both drivers have access to identical RB19 cars and receive the same support from the team. Monaghan reiterated Red Bull’s commitment to treating its drivers fairly and providing them with the best possible support.

Although Mercedes showed a significant improvement in their performance at the Spanish Grand Prix, narrowing the gap to Red Bull, Marko dismissed any concerns about their rivals’ progress. The Red Bull consultant expressed confidence in his team’s lead in the championship, saying that Mercedes had taken a different direction with their updates. Marko even suggested that Red Bull could win every race this season, relying on the abilities of Verstappen and Pérez.

Marko’s optimism extended to the next race in Montreal, where Red Bull hopes to achieve its 100th victory. Such an achievement would place them among the elite constructors, including Ferrari, McLaren, Mercedes and Williams, who have reached the milestone of 100 or more wins in Formula 1.

Red Bull’s dominance has been evident all season, as even on their least successful race weekends, they have managed to outperform Mercedes. Pérez’s fourth place, combined with Verstappen’s win and fastest lap, helped Red Bull to 38 points at the Spanish Grand Prix. Despite Mercedes’ good performance, finishing second and third, the team fell five points behind Red Bull, further widening the gap in the Constructors’ Championship.

With 287 points already accumulated, Red Bull has a lead of 135 points over second-placed Mercedes. As it continues its quest for excellence, Red Bull remains focused on maintaining its dominance and building on its impressive season so far.