After Mercedes topped the sheets on Thursday, and Red Bull appeared subdued regarding the single-lap simulation, Helmut Marko still believes the Milton Keynes outfit is the one to beat.
Red Bull didn’t shine in the qualifying simulation, with Max Verstappen concluding both FP1 and FP2 in P6, while Sergio Perez finished 12th and 10th. However, the race pace was the strong characteristic of the RB20 today.
Verstappen wasn’t completely happy with the car, as Marko admitted. Despite that, the latter also said that the team is still confident, and the race pace was positive.
“The long run was very good, but of course, the temperature was five to six degrees lower than during the test,” Marko said.
“The practice sessions were not as relaxed as the winter tests, but we are still confident. The shifting is a bit stiff, although that’s actually a common complaint with Max.”
He later continued by saying that he doesn’t believe Mercedes’ times are “representative”, while he sees Ferrari a bit closer. Nonetheless, he sees Red Bull as the fastest team.
“I don’t think Mercedes’ times are completely representative. Ferrari will be very strong in the race and qualifying. But I think in terms of race pace, we are still the fastest team.”