It seemed that the Australian GP could represent the second chapter of the battle between McLaren and Ferrari, as Red Bull arrived in Melbourne with some problems to solve. However, in the end, it was the team led by Christian Horner and Helmut Marko that challenged the papaya-colored cars for the victory.
Despite Liam Lawson still struggling, Max Verstappen delivered yet another phenomenal performance. The Dutch driver immediately secured second place and was then able to capitalize on Oscar Piastri’s mistake to cross the finish line behind Norris.
He was certainly helped by some strategic decisions that made the difference. The Milton Keynes team read the race masterfully, calling the number 1 into the pits at the right moment.
Helmut Marko reveals the problems and explains how long it will take to close the gap
“In Bahrain, McLaren was much faster than us,” declared Helmut Marko at the end of the Melbourne race. “On this track, we managed to stay behind them for a few laps before degradation slowed us down a bit. At the moment, this is our main problem, and we know we have to work on it.”
“The uncertain conditions allowed us to stay up front, and I think that, in the end, Max was the fastest on track,” added Red Bull’s top advisor. “The track was not completely dry, which prevented us from trying alternative lines. We tried to make him put pressure on Lando, but it wasn’t enough.”
“All in all, I think the result is more than positive. Again, our main problem is tire degradation, but there are others as well. We are working hard, and I think that in about five races, we could solve them and be on the same level as McLaren,” concluded Helmut Marko.
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