Helmut Marko claims Red Bull will ‘really have a problem’ if it fails to perform at Spanish GP

Red Bull have seemingly hit a development ceiling amidst tough battles with Ferrari and McLaren.

Helmut Marko claims Red Bull will ‘really have a problem’ if it fails to perform at Spanish GP

Helmut Marko (Via: IMAGO)

Red Bull were the favorites to win the title heading into the ongoing season. However, the fortunes seem to have turned away from the Austrian manufacturer as the team has won only a single Grand Prix in their last three outings. Witnessing the huge slump in performance, Helmut Marko has alerted the team regarding their status quo in the championship standings.

The Milton-Keynes-based team and Max Verstappen dominated the early phase of the season, as the Dutchman has won more than half of the races held in 2024 so far. However, the balance seems to be swinging away from the reigning champions as McLaren and Ferrari seem to have found untapped performances with their challengers. This was subsequently witnessed at the Monaco GP, where Ferrari and McLaren claimed the top-four spots. Whereas, the Dutchman finished a lonely P6.

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Fearing the recent trends, Helmut Marko urged the team to solve the problems with the RB20 soon.

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I think we still have an advantage on traditional circuits, if we are not ahead in Barcelona then we will really have a problem. On circuits where we won't be the most competitive we can count on the Verstappen factor, he is in full form and makes the difference.
Helmut Marko said in an interview with F1Insider

The Austrian reckoned that Red Bull still had the advantage at traditional tracks. He insisted that they would have an easy time around the Catalunya circuit. However, if the Austrian giant proves slow around the 4.65-kilometer track, then the team has a huge underlying problem, which would go on to bite them in the subsequent races.

Helmut Marko does not anticipate the Canadian GP weekend to be any better

Despite being worried about the race around Barcelona, Marko’s fears do not stop there. The 80-year-old was recently questioned about his expectations from the next race in Canada, to which he admitted that he does not have high hopes for his team.

Red Bull's Helmut Marko
Helmut Marko (via IMAGO)

Marko reckoned that the woes around Monaco would be witnessed again around the Montreal circuit.

The simulator spat out something that didn't correspond to reality. That's the first point we'll address. We are optimistic that we can at least find out why the simulator produces data that does not correspond to reality. But Montreal could also be a difficult weekend for us.
Helmut Marko said in an interview with Speedweek

Marko claimed that despite good indications from simulator work, Red Bull was far way behind its rivals. Moreover, as the next race is around a street circuit, similar problems could be witnessed.

Despite the concerns, Verstappen has a monumental lead in the championship standings. So, rivals would need to ramp up their preparations for the upcoming races in Canada and Spain to bid a challenge to the mighty Dutchman. Keeping everything in view, the next few races will be a fascinating watch for varied reasons.

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