Red Bull continues to evolve its single-seater concept while the team is still developing the RB21, the future F1 which will compete in the 2025 season on behalf of the Milton Keynes team. Helmut Marko, Red Bull's motorsport consultant, explains that the team is not just looking for downforce.
“We know what to do” Marko said. “This car needs a wider working window, so that it is not immediately thrown out of balance in the event of slight temperature fluctuations or minor technical changes.”
“This is exactly what our engineers are working on. Forty points of support is good, but four tenths on the clock is what interests me and the drivers. The behavior must be predictable for the driver so that he can gain the necessary confidence.”
The winner of the 1971 24 Hours of Le Mans expects to see a very difficult 2025 season, with an intense fight between several teams: “I'm sure we'll face a close fight at the top next year, which is normal in the final year of a regulatory period.”
“Competitors will be closer to each other. It is common practice in Formula 1 to copy proven concepts. And the more stable the specifications remain, the more similar the cars become. This automatically increases the level of performance .”
“We will give everything we have next year. There will be some changes in the team, because there have been departures. But we are well positioned and I believe our team is capable of giving Max a car which will allow him to fight for the world championship again.”
Marko confirmed Red Bull will resolve drivers' situation “in the coming days”which may include the announcement of the separation with Sergio Pérez: “As Max is the fastest and best driver in the field, it is natural that we take his preferences into account when developing the handling characteristics of the car.”
“I am sure that as long as we provide him with a competitive car, he will stay at Red Bull Racing. We will announce in the coming days the composition of the driver team for next year. There is a lot of speculation, and we talks about severance pay which makes no sense.”
The Austrian also seeks to cover his tracks with good comments on Yuki Tsunoda.
“During post-season testing, Yuki Tsunoda had the opportunity to drive the RB20 and the team was very pleased with his technical feedback. In this regard, he is much better than what is often said about him. He is one of the many talents we have in our ranks.
Marko was impressed to see Verstappen learn to accept losing places, as was the case in Las Vegas, where he settled for a fifth place to be titled: “Max has matured even more this year. He was the strongest mentally, as a driver and in the duel, and he learned to only do what was necessary.”
“If you had said at the start of the year that he would let Lewis Hamilton and the two Ferraris go on track because he was only thinking about the world championship, you would have said that was absurd. But he did. did because he knows what to focus on.”
But what impressed the Austrian the most was the performance of his driver in Brazil, who came from 17th place and won: “It was a psychological humiliation for the competition, he surpassed everyone and proved once again that he is one of the best of all time in this sport.”
“For us, and for him too, it is the top priority. We are not concerned with the evaluation of journalists or any degree of popularity. The world title is awarded on the basis of points and these speak clearly in favor of Max.”
“It is true that there is not necessarily an objective balance in the English media. But I think there is also a phenomenon at play here: whoever emerges as the potential new star or pursuer always benefits more sympathy than the established champion But that doesn't matter to Max, he always says what he thinks and shows his emotions.
