Helmut Marko Admits Red Bull Trails Behind Lando Norris at British Grand Prix

Helmut Marko states Red Bull falls short of McLaren's Lando Norris at Silverstone.

Helmut Marko has issued a caution, stating that Red Bull is not performing at the same level as McLaren’s Lando Norris during this weekend's British Grand Prix.

Norris led the way in both practice sessions on Friday at Silverstone, showcasing his dominance at his home circuit.

Max Verstappen faced challenges during the second practice session, finishing with the seventh-fastest time, trailing Norris by more than six-tenths of a second.

In an interview with ORF following the session, Marko disclosed that Red Bull is falling behind by almost 0.3 seconds just in the first sector.

Marko mentioned that they are losing a significant amount of time in the slower corners, particularly in the first sector, where they are losing nearly three-tenths of a second.

"In the initial practice session, our performance was subpar, and our long-distance runs weren't impressive either. While we're still performing well, we're not matching Norris's level. There are several areas we need to improve. Additionally, the weather forecast for Saturday and Sunday looks unfavorable, so we'll need to decide on the best compromises to make."

"Are we expecting rain, and if so, should we increase the car's wing? It's a tough call, but the choice we made was clearly incorrect, as it caused us to fall behind. In the third sector, we lost all our time in the slower corners."

Marko is doubtful that Red Bull will resolve their present issues quickly.

"There are various factors at play," he explained. "The car has too much slide, which I believe is mainly a mechanical issue. However, the gap isn't as large as six-tenths; nonetheless, we remain behind Norris."

"It is uncertain whether we can achieve the ideal balance to keep our performance strong in the fast corners while not sacrificing too much in the slow ones."

Expressing his thoughts on Friday, Verstappen admitted that Red Bull has "work to do".

"It was fine; I just went a little too far," Verstappen stated. "So I decided to abandon my lap. The performance on the soft tires wasn't great. The medium tires seemed to perform a bit better in FP2. We still have some adjustments to make. We also experimented with the car setup."

"We need to evaluate how we can improve for the next day. This assessment will guide our direction for tomorrow. Considering it is likely to rain, we should factor that into our plans."

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