Helmut Marko clarifies his comments about Aston Martin ‘copying’ Red Bull

Helmut Marko has come forth to clarify his comments about Aston Martin "copying" the Red Bull "in such detail".

Helmut Marko clarifies his comments about Aston Martin ‘copying’ Red Bull

Red Bull F1 advisor Helmut Marko

When Aston Martin revealed their overhauled AMR22 at last season’s Spanish Grand Prix, there were ‘accusations’ of it being a ‘Green Red Bull’, and they saw no end of trolling for it. This season too, there were jokes about the car being similar to the RB package. Christian Horner had also chipped in, saying that it was ‘flattering’ to see the resemblance of the Aston Martin to the Red Bull, and nice to see ‘three of them’ on the podium. Sergio Perez and Helmut Marko had also ‘joked’ about it.

Of course, Dan Fallows, who was previously Head of Aerodynamics at Red Bull, joined Aston Martin in 2022. He oversaw the development of the AMR23 as the team’s technical director. Horner did not regret losing Fallows, and continued: “…they say imitation is the biggest form of flattery and it is good to see the old car going so well!” In a press conference, Perez had said: “Oh it’s nice to see three Red Bull cars on the podium!”

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Obviously, all of these comments were made in relation to the perceived design similarities of the AMR23 with the RB-18 (2022), and the RB-19 (2023). Red Bull’s consultant had not refrained from the ‘banter’ either. Marko told Servus TV: “It’s true that what Fallows had in his head cannot be erased. Copying the focus is not prohibited, but can you copy in such detail without having documentation of our car? We had three Red Bulls on the podium, only the last one with a different engine.”

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Helmut Marko was “just joking” about the Aston Martin-Red Bull similarities

Red Bull F1 advisor Helmut Marko
Red Bull F1 advisor Helmut Marko

Helmut Marko’s comment can even be seen as questioning the legality of the car – with respect to the ‘transfer of intellectual property’. Especially because former Red Bull man, Dan Fallows, helped design the AMR23. Marko has a history of fiery comments. But on this occasion, the Austrian has come forth to clarify that it had not been his intention to ‘accuse’ anyone.

Speaking to Formel1.de, the Red Bull consultant clarified his comments. When asked if there was “concrete evidence” of a transfer of intellectual property, he said: “No, not at all. And that shouldn’t be an accusation either. These are just joking remarks. If you look in the field, the Aston Martin is the car that is most similar to the Red Bull.”

Right now, at least from what we’ve seen in Bahrain, it’s fair to say: The Aston Martin AMR23 is the second-fastest car on the grid. Further inroads towards Red Bull are not out of the question. If the two teams are competing for the title sometime in the future, it’ll be interesting to see how the dynamic is between them. That is, considering the similarities between their packages.

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