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Red Bull senior advisor Helmut Marko believes that Mercedes coerced the FIA for a mid-season rule change which might backfire on it. The Austrian believes that the German team should instead focus on raising the ride height of its car, which could eliminate the porpoising.
Speaking to Sky Sports F1, the Red Bull advisor said:
“I don’t think the FIA’s decisions are right. One team, Mercedes, has the biggest problems and then they react in the middle of the season. There is a simple solution: you just have to raise the car. Then you don’t have this bouncing anymore, but you lose speed. The fact that they are now reacting in this way and trying to impose such powers on the FIA, which practically determine the set-up of the cars, is a quick fix that has certainly not been thought through.”
The Red Bull advisor feels Mercedes has tried to politically push the FIA by pressuring them with off-track complaints about porpoising. The regulatory body has intervened considering the safety factors and health hazards caused by bouncing to the drivers. However, the Austrian disagreed with FIA’s decisions to intervene or potentially make a mid-season rule change.
Explaining the row over porpoising further and the new technical directive, Marko said:
“There are still improvements to be made, because the parameters are far too vague. One would be exposing oneself to arbitrariness. That would mainly affect the team that complained about it. Our drivers are one of the biggest assets we have. We make sure that they are in top physical condition.”
Helmut Marko took a swipe at Lewis Hamilton’s backache complaints in Baku after the seven-time world champion secured a podium at the Canadian GP.
Speaking to an F1 insider, Marko said:
“Hamilton got out of the car quickly today. When he’s on the podium, it’s a lot easier.”
Red Bull advisor says 2021 championship battle might have been less heated had Niki Lauda still been alive
Helmut Marko claimed that the German team is lacking the presence of Niki Lauda, who had a more balanced mindset while managing the team in competitive situations. He went on to say:
“I think Lauda’s balanced mentality is missing here at Mercedes. Maybe he would have done it very differently. But when you’re used to winning and then defeat comes, it’s always a difficult situation.”
The Red Bull advisor reminisced about his regular meals with the triple world champion and felt the 2021 battle would have been less heated between the two teams if he were alive. The Austrian duo were known to grab a meal together at every race weekend and to have a strong bond.
