Helmut Marko Demands Red Bull Improvement After Mexico Practice

Despite Max Verstappen topping FP2, Helmut Marko expressed dissatisfaction with Red Bull's long-run pace at the Mexican Grand Prix, particularly when compared to McLaren. Marko emphasized that significant improvements are needed before Saturday's sessions.

Why it matters:

• Red Bull's dominance has often hinged on its strong race pace and tire management. Any sign of weakness in long runs, especially against a resurgent McLaren, could indicate a tougher challenge ahead in Mexico.
• Helmut Marko's direct critique highlights that even with a P1 in practice, the team is acutely aware of potential vulnerabilities, underscoring the high standards they hold themselves to.

The details:

• Single-Lap Pace Strong: Max Verstappen recorded the fastest lap in the qualifying simulation during FP2, demonstrating Red Bull's raw speed over one lap.
• Long-Run Struggles: However, when switching to medium tires for long-run simulations, Red Bull's pace fell significantly behind McLaren's.
• McLaren's Strength: McLaren's MCL39 has consistently shown excellent tire management, which was evident again in Mexico's practice sessions.
• Marko's Comments: Speaking to SkyDe, Marko stated, "Over a single lap, we are fast and competitive, but the long run was not great, and especially on the mediums, we are clearly behind McLaren." He added that even on soft tires, they were not quite where they needed to be, indicating "a lot of work to do."
• Cause of Issue: Marko dismissed temperature as a factor, attributing the issues to "a question of balance and grip."
• Piastri's Performance: Marko also noted Oscar Piastri's struggles, with the McLaren driver finishing 12th, nearly 0.8 seconds behind Verstappen, and "clearly behind Norris." He suggested Piastri might be experiencing problems but acknowledged it was only Friday and things could change.

What's next:

Red Bull will be working intensively overnight to address the balance and grip issues impacting their long-run pace. Improving tire degradation and overall race performance will be crucial for challenging McLaren and other competitors in qualifying and the race. The team's ability to quickly resolve these challenges will be a key storyline as the Mexican Grand Prix weekend progresses.