The gap on track between Sainz and Leclerc is a “disadvantage for Red Bull”
Helmut Marko commented on the start of the season for the Ferrari and Red Bull drivers. While praising Sergio Perez, he criticizes Carlos Sainz for his lack of performance, as he expected him to be on the same level as Charles Leclerc.
Before the Australian Grand Prix, Helmut Marko, the head of Red Bull’s young driver program, spoke about the rivalry with Ferrari. According to him, the advantage gained by Leclerc over his teammate since the start of the season is not good news for Red Bull.
« I was pleasantly surprised last year that he [Sainz] was at the same level as Leclerc, and I hoped it would be the same this year. But we can already see, whether it’s in practice or in the race, that he is missing three or four tenths. » noted Helmut Marko.
Carlos Sainz has achieved two podium finishes in the first two races by finishing second in Bahrain and third in Jeddah. These impressive performances continue to be overshadowed by those of Charles Leclerc (winner in Bahrain, second in Jeddah). Above all, the Spaniard seems to be struggling to keep up with the pace of his teammate, both in qualifying and in the race.
« It’s a disadvantage for us because we believed that both would share the points. That’s not the case for now. But Sainz is an intelligent and fast man. I’m sure he will settle things and give himself a boost.
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Marko knows Carlos Sainz well, as the Spaniard comes from the Red Bull Junior Team, which sponsored him in the lower categories. Sainz made his debut in Formula 1 in 2015, with Toro Rosso (formerly known as AlphaTauri) alongside a certain Max Verstappen.
“No team instructions” in Jedda
Helmut Marko commented on the last race weekend in Jeddah. The RB18s were comfortable as Sergio Perez secured his first pole position of his career and Max Verstappen won the race. According to Marko, there were no team orders given to favor the Dutch driver, as was the case in last year’s title fight.
« It was clear before the race [in Saudi Arabia] that, early in the season, when both drivers still had zero points, there would be no team orders. Assured the Austrian. « There was a theory that Ferrari forced us to make an early pit stop, but that’s not the case, it was just Perez’s tire degradation that was higher than Max’s.
When asked about the changes in hierarchy among drivers, Marko did not hesitate to praise the Mexican driver. « If you look at the teams, it’s different. Some drivers have gotten closer and at Ferrari it’s the opposite. I think there are two factors with Perez. First, the car suits him well, he feels more comfortable in it. Secondly, the team knows him better. His race engineer has also grown, so there is more self-confidence, more expertise. Overall, we are very happy that this development has taken place. »
