Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has admitted the team is wary of the “impressive” long-run pace Ferrari showed during practice for Formula 1’s Australian Grand Prix.
Ferrari has emerged as Red Bull’s closest contender in the nascent stages of the season, with Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz taking one third place apiece to date.
But Leclerc has lagged three-tenths behind Max Verstappen over a single lap at both rounds and trailed 18 seconds behind the Dutchman in the race in Saudi Arabia.
However, Ferrari surged out of the blocks at the Albert Park Circuit, with Leclerc concluding the second practice session a marked 0.389s clear of Verstappen’s Red Bull.
Marko, though, insists that Leclerc’s standout race simulation has provided more cause for concern at Red Bull rather than Ferrari’s apparent searing one-lap potential.
“I think Ferrari used a pushed mapping in their qualifying simulation, while we did not,” he said. “That’s why the three-tenths gap we have to them I don’t judge as serious.
“But in the long runs they were impressive. As far as we are concerned, our set-up is still not right.”
Verstappen’s track time was limited in the second session due to damage sustained running over a kerb in FP1 that resulted in Red Bull opting to change his floor.
Meanwhile, Sergio Perez slipped to eighth on the timesheets in FP2, eight-tenths behind Leclerc’s benchmark-setting pace in a benign and compliant Ferrari SF-24.
Marko has conceded that Leclerc’s strong pace from the outset in Melbourne has necessitated that Red Bull must strive to unlock more from the RB20 overnight.
“We have to make improvements,” he added. “The car is not so bad. But Leclerc has set a pace that requires us to do a lot of fine-tuning on our set-up.
“I think that, in general, it is necessary to say that the grid is getting closer.”
Red Bull’s domination with the current ground effect cars has resumed in 2024 amid the backdrop of the tension that has overshadowed the team’s on-track exploits.
Marko had suggested that he could be suspended from his role at Red Bull in Jeddah but 24 hours later backtracked on that statement and confirmed he would remain.
With Verstappen reiterating his intention to complete his Red Bull contract through 2028, Marko is hopeful that the friction within the camp is beginning to settle again.
“Things are calming down, thank God. Eventually everything will go back to the way it was before,” the Austrian concluded.
