Mercedes still the favorite according to Marko

It was obviously the striking contrast of these preseason tests in Bahrain: the almost disconcerting ease of Red Bull compared to the unusual difficulties at Mercedes.

Some observers even indulge in the game of predictions, seeing Red Bull in a better position than the star company for the start of the season.

However, in the Austrian camp, putting yourself forward is absolutely not appropriate. Although we acknowledge that the tests went excellently, it remains that Mercedes is still the team to beat.

« It was clearly the best tests since the creation of Red Bull Racing,” Helmut Marko said to RTL. « Everything worked from the beginning. But we know that Mercedes remains the favorite, and I assume they drove with a lot more fuel than us.”

For the record, the competition director at Mercedes has drawn up a much more alarmist assessment than the one put forward by Red Bull.

Mercedes as favorite, Red Bull as challenger, McLaren as the third force for the Austrian.

The brand’s special advisor advances the argument of fuel to support his statements. According to him, the fact that Mercedes did not load the same amount of gasoline proves a high level of confidence in the German team.

« The fact that they did not really align with the others in terms of fuel load already shows that they must have a lot of confidence. So we assume that they still have a lot in reserve,” he continues.

When asked about his opinion on the hierarchy among constructors, Marko was quite talkative, unlike the majority of other leaders at the same time.

Mercedes is the favorite and we are the top challenger. That’s how I see the situation. Behind, it’s going to be a battle. I think McLaren will stand out a bit, but not at the level of Mercedes and us. The midfield is certainly tighter, concludes the Austrian.

See you on March 28th in Bahrain, the first Grand Prix of the season, to get a more precise idea of the teams involved.