Helmut Marko blasts Mercedes for its ‘manipulative tricks’ to diminish Red Bull’s DRS advantage

Red Bull have shocked the paddock with their astounding straight-line speed.

Helmut Marko blasts Mercedes for its ‘manipulative tricks’ to diminish Red Bull’s DRS advantage

Helmut Marko via PlanetF1

The result of the Miami Grand Prix witnessed yet another familiar sight. Red Bull Racing occupied the top two spots on the podium yet again. Max Verstappen was unstoppable as he overwhelmed the field with blistering pace.

From the start of the F1 season, Red Bull’s RB19 cars have been unstippable. Teammates Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez are the only ones competing in a close contest for the Drivers’ Championship. The paddock is amazed by Red Bull’s exceptional straight-line speed when they activate the DRS. Their pace gives them a significant advantage.

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Both the Azerbaijan and Miami Grands Prix faced criticism for shortening the DRS zones. Fans believe it makes the race less thrilling, particularly in Baku, where there were limited opportunities for overtaking. The teams and the drivers were not pleased with this. Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko firmly believes that the recent shortening of DRS zones in races by the FIA is a deliberate ploy to undermine the dominant force of Red Bull.

Motorsport-Magazin questioned Marko about his thoughts on shortening the DRS zones. He stated, “Overtaking has always been difficult but especially when the DRS zones are shortened. And we know why that happens…” He was also asked directly if he believed it was an attempt to curb his team’s unbelievable speed, to which he replied, “Exactly”.

Helmut Marko added, “We have to stop intervening with these kinds of manipulative tricks, it is bizarre that Mercedes, of all teams, is moaning.” The Austrian is calling out the Silver Arrows for their hypocritical behavior.

Mercedes had a dominant engine for several years. It gave them a considerable lead over their rivals, including Red Bull. Marko believes that Mercedes should focus on themselves rather than question Red Bull’s advantage.

Related: Max Verstappen Miami GP win was inevitable, claims Christian Horner amidst Sergio Perez sabotage speculations

Red Bull were an unstoppable force at the Miami GP

Red Bull dominated the Grand Prix via The Guardian
Red Bull dominated the Grand Prix via The Guardian.

The starting grid for the race was quite unorthodox. It was deviating from the normal sequence fans are accustomed to witnessing. The likes of Haas and Alfa Romeo had made their way into the top ten. The usual pole-sitter Max Verstappen was down in ninth, and he had a big task ahead of him.

However, this was clearly not a worthy obstacle for the two-time world champion. Verstappen established his dominance by cutting through the field like a hot knife through butter. He was inevitable and set brilliant lap times. It included a stunning double overtake on the likes of Ferrari and Haas.

The RB19 with DRS activated has no rival. With this utility at his disposal, Verstappen was breathing down the necks of the frontrunners in no time. The Dutchman’s only adversary that put up somewhat of a fight for the lead was his teammate, Sergio Perez. The Mexican driver started on pole. He defended admirably, but like the rest of the grid, conceded to Verstappen’s might.

The RB19 is an instrument that works in harmony with Verstappen’s ruthlessness on track. It understands his hunger for victory. Despite Perez being in the same machinery, he was miles off the pace of the Dutchman. Verstappen extracted more from the car compared to his teammate.

Red Bull collected 224 points and are first in the constructors’ standings. The team is 122 points clear of Aston Martin in second. And it doesn’t look like they will encounter serious competition this year.

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