As we gear up for the start of the F1 2025 season, the spotlight is firmly on McLaren, who have emerged as the frontrunners, much to the chagrin of Red Bull’s advisor, Helmut Marko. In the competitive world of Formula One, Marko has conceded that McLaren holds the advantage, acknowledging a three-tenths deficit that Red Bull is grappling with.
Marko’s candid observations came during the Bahrain testing phase, a crucial period that often lays bare the pecking order of the teams ahead of the season. He identified McLaren’s superior tyre management as a key factor in their advantage, solidifying their status as the favourites.
As we inch closer to the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, Marko anticipates a four-way battle for the title between McLaren, Mercedes, Ferrari, and Red Bull. However, he also acknowledges McLaren’s head start and their dominance in both short and long runs. His comments to Sport.de, “The current favourite is clearly McLaren,” underline the challenge that Red Bull faces.
The Bahrain testing phase wasn’t without its hurdles, with harsh weather conditions including cold temperatures, strong winds, and rain. Despite these adversities, Marko noted a gap of up to three-tenths to McLaren in the race simulation on the third day, further highlighting McLaren’s superior tyre management.
Despite these setbacks, optimism abounds in the Red Bull camp. Max Verstappen, their star driver, is relishing his time at the wheel of the RB21, his eyes set firmly on his fifth consecutive title. This is a marked change from the previous season, where balance issues plagued the RB20, leading to a 10 race winless streak.
Red Bull’s technical director, Pierre Wache, revealed to PlanetF1.com that the team has overhauled the design of the RB21, addressing many of the issues that bedevilled them last season. Changes include a new cooling system, suspension, and aero package, resulting in a car that, while not visually different from the RB20, offers a greatly improved driving experience.
Wache acknowledged that the previous car was “peaky” with high potential, but also difficult for the driver to handle, especially at slow corners. With the RB21, the team has aimed to reduce the peakiness and provide a more user-friendly car, particularly in corner entry.
While Red Bull has some catching up to do, Wache affirmed that the RB21 is already three to four tenths per lap quicker than the RB20. As the teams prepare to battle it out on the track, the season ahead promises to be an exciting one. Despite the odds, Red Bull is far from waving the white flag, and the chase for the title is very much on.
