Red Bull’s advisor finds it controversial that Lewis Hamilton could prevent the extension of Red Bull’s dominance by taking such a step, the absence of which previously allowed him to become the record holder.
Lewis Hamilton has suggested introducing some sort of development deadline before the Austrian Grand Prix. Regarding Red Bull’s great superiority, he talked about how Formula 1 should start by making the series unified by one team that has been in control for years, so that each team can only start developing next year’s car from a certain point in the year.
According to the Briton, Red Bull, aware of its superiority this year, has already regrouped all its resources for 2024, and he fears that by overcoming the development penalty received, it may be able to maintain its superiority for next season as well.
Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko considers the seven-time world champion’s proposal ridiculous in light of the fact that he himself became a seven-time world champion and the most important record breaker in the sport by taking advantage of this situation.
“He seems to have a very bad memory. During the years that Mercedes dominated, they also started working on their next car much earlier than others. At that time, it was mainly thanks to their superior resources, which had much more horsepower.” From others.”
“If you don’t need to invest energy this year, you will naturally start working next year.” Dutch Marco explained Motorsportto.
He pointed out that although their entire package works so well that they can dominate, Mercedes owes its previous untouchability primarily to its engine.
“For us, it is the result of a combination of a very good chassis, a good engine and an exceptionally good driver. Our team rarely makes mistakes in the process.”
So far, Red Bull has won all its races this year, and its 10 victories in the series are a record of its own. Marko hinted that in another interview, after their 100th win this year, they are aiming to overtake Williams, who have won 114 races during their existence. To achieve this, they will have to win every race this year, which he admitted is not a realistic goal.
But, he said, there is no need to fear that this situation will make them uncomfortable. “There’s no need to worry about that. It’s impossible for us to sit with the team.” He promised.
Horner: At a higher level than ever!
Team manager Christian Horner has warned of caution so far, but does not rule out anything related to an unbeaten end to the season. “Are we capable of it? Yes. Will we do it? Who do you know?” He left the question open and added: “We are happy with every victory. This is our best streak of the season since Sebastian Vettel’s nine-win streak in 2013. We want to keep this going for as long as possible, but time will tell how long we will be successful.”
Christian Horner (Image: XPB)He pointed out that Verstappen’s race at Silverstone last year showed how easy it was to end this unbeaten streak. “Little things can make a difference. We saw what happened last year: he ran over a piece of debris that destroyed his car. The team is doing an excellent job, but all it takes is a change in the weather, a little bad luck or a puncture, and anything can happen.” To change.”
He added about their performance:
“We are operating at a higher level than ever before in our nineteen-year history. This is a fortunate period in the life of the team and I said we wanted to extend it for as long as possible.”
In light of this, he believes that it is natural that, despite the developmental restrictions, they will not exaggerate in developing this year’s car and focus on 2024. “We realize that this will have no impact on our performance in 2024, which is why we have only made modest development so far this year. But fortunately, our car has been good since the beginning of the year.”
Wolf: If they’re better and follow the rules, they deserve it
While Hamilton will rein in the controllers, according to his boss, Toto Wolff, it would not be right to interfere. “In the end, we can’t complain. If a team does better than anyone else and their rider is in control, it’s because they were better and they deserved it. Provided of course that everything is done right, on the technical side, on the sporting side, but also on the financial side “.
He continued: “Of course, prolonging the current dominance will not be good for Formula One in the long term, and in the end the quality of the product is important. On the other hand, what is fair from a sporting point of view should not be attacked. You want closer competition, but we have to do better.” – He admitted, adding that the time obstacle system in the wind tunnel is a convenient measure to help catch up, and believes that he and Mercedes will soon be able to catch up with Red Bull on their own.
