There are those who think that Red Bull, one step away from the third consecutive drivers' world championship with Verstappen and the second constructors' title, will dominate until 2026. But there are those who think that it will also do so later given that the race to be prepared for the transition of the new engines in 2026 has already begun. This is the philosophy of Helmut Marko, super consultant of the Austrian team, who reported to the Germans Motorsport-Total his opinion on the new power units and the work of his rivals, in particular on Ferrari and Mercedes. In fact, there has been talk for some time about a clear advantage between the two teams over Red Bull and this would have led Marko to defend the work of his group.
Marko: “We are miles ahead of Ferrari on 2026 engines”
For the first time, Red Bull will race with an engine produced entirely in-house, by Red Bull Powertrains. Ford will support with a partnership for mainly commercial purposes. But there is also a lot of curiosity on the technical side. The abolition of the MGU-H, in addition to the strengthening of the hybrid part, is one of the most relevant changes in these new engines but the concerns expressed by Christian Horner regarding an advantage of the historical teams, they did not touch Helmut Marko. The Austrian is convinced that the work in Milton Keynes is well underway, unlike that of other teams such as Ferrari or the new entry Audi.
"I don't think we are behind on a technical level. We have involved engine engineers from Ferrari, Mercedes, Renault and Cosworth, we have Ford as a partner, we have top-level staff on the combustion engine and two very brilliant minds on the electric side. It's August and we're running a full combustion engine with MGU-K and battery: there we are miles ahead of Ferrari and Audi. In Mercedes I think they are almost ready.”
Marko opposes the regulation
Marko has no hesitations about the team's work, but rather about the survival of this sport with a regulation which, according to some simulations, will lead the teams to give up part of the thrust of the combustion engine and therefore speed in a straight line. Taking risks Than we to distort tracks like Monza or Spa.
"We care about Formula 1, we don't race to get rich. We want there to be a really good sport again, and that's where we have concerns: Formula 1 is entertainment and must offer something to the public, therefore it cannot exist that we have to climb on the straight in Monza."
A discussion has also started on this point. Toto Wolff is in fact convinced that Red Bull's complaints have a completely different type of motivation. The new regulation has been thought through in every aspect and all the motorists have contributed to making it so. The fact that Red Bull is now backing down and criticizing him may indicate, according to Wolff, that the team has encountered difficulties and is looking for a more political path.
Source statements: FormulaPassion
