Helmut Marko claims Mercedes and McLaren are ‘pushing the limits’ of legality amidst heated championship tussle with Red Bull

Red Bull has already lost out on three Grand Prix wins this year.

Helmut Marko claims Mercedes and McLaren are ‘pushing the limits’ of legality amidst heated championship tussle with Red Bull

Toto Wolff, Zak Brown and Helmut Marko (Via: Imago)

The 2024 F1 season, to the surprise of many, has turned out to be an extremely exciting affair. Three to four teams are potentially in with a shot at the world championship and amidst McLaren and Mercedes’s rise, Red Bulls’ Helmut Marko has raised questions regarding their front wing.

Helmut Marko thinks that while McLaren and the Toto Wolff-led team’s front wing is legal, during its track running, it deforms in a way that allows both outfits to gain some added advantage. He genuinely feels that the flexing front wing is one of the main reasons for the improvement in pace of both teams.

YouTube video

Mercedes’s George Russell was even able to secure pole position during Montreal qualifying.

Mercedes has definitely made progress, especially in terms of top speed. You can only achieve this top speed if the wings are aerodynamically deformed. It's certainly not illegal, it's just pushing the limits. It's an eternal competition between the teams and the FIA.
Helmut Marko said via Kleine Zeitung

Looking at the reaction of the Red Bull team advisor, it is quite clear that he is not too pleased with the front wing of McLaren and Mercedes’s challenger. Moreover, he has also admitted that both teams are at the borderline when it comes to the legality of their respective front wing.

Red Bull yet to find the perfect ‘balance over a lap’ in Barcelona

While Marko has raised concerns regarding the front wing of two teams, he and Red Bull have a task at hand in terms of finding the perfect setup on the RB20. Since FP1 in Barcelona, the outfit has not quite managed to pull out of the perfect lap.

Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen
Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen (via IMAGO)

Max Verstappen ended FP1 in second place and slipped to fifth by the end of FP2.

We are not as bad as it seems. We are there in terms of long runs, but we have not yet found the balance over a lap. Unlike others, we have not yet driven at full power.
Helmut Markko Via Motorsport-Magazine

Red Bull has come to Barcelona on the back of a hard-fought victory at the Canadian Grand Prix. The team seems to have somewhat found its mojo back and considering this, it will be fascinating to see how the rest of the Spanish GP weekend pans out for Verstappen and Co. They will most definitely be put under pressure by the lights of Ferrari, McLaren, and Mercedes.

In case you missed it: