Marco: We are critical of the Mercedes wing

Last week the Italian press wrote that Red Bull approached the FIA ​​​​with a request to check Mercedes’ front wing for compliance with the regulations. In an interview, Helmut Marko commented in detail on the situation.

Question: Mr Marco, is it true that Red Bull has asked the FIA ​​to scrutinize Mercedes’ front wing?
Helmut Marko: It is incorrect to say that. Mercedes has a new front wing and television footage from Montreal showed the wings of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton’s cars noticeably sagging. However, when they were removed from the machine and measured under load, they had the necessary strength. But this doesn’t surprise me. I’ve already lost count of how many times our wings have been tested for flexibility.

Question: So are the wings checked before every Grand Prix?
Helmut Marko: Precisely. There is a clearly defined order in which loads are hung on the beam and it must not sag. This is a fairly common game that teams play in an attempt to keep the bar stationary during technical inspection, but flexed during the race to provide better aerodynamics.

Q: In recent years there has been a lot of suspicion about your team in this regard…
Helmut Marko: Precisely. Each time the question arose whether the deflection was clearly visible on the television image.

Question: And what does the current situation mean in relation to Mercedes?
Helmut Marko: In Montreal everything was within the rules. But there will also be checks in Barcelona, ​​​​Spielberg and so on, where the wing must also comply with regulations. Of course, not only we, but also other competitors are critical of all this.

Question: What do you think of the headline “Red Bull wants to clip Mercedes’ wings”?
Helmut Marko (laughs): Funny pun! But if it is, then only the FIA ​​can do that.

Question: According to Ralf Schumacher, Red Bull will not have any problems in Barcelona, ​​as at this circuit the team with the best car always wins. Do you agree with him?
Helmut Marko: Well, we have the best rider and the best aerodynamics, but the best chassis? Ralph must be right! Mercedes was fast in Barcelona last year, but that was a one-off success.

Question: They say that based on the results of the race in Barcelona we can draw conclusions about the balance of power?
Helmut Marko: If we are strong in Barcelona, ​​then I hope we will also be strong in Austria and at Silverstone. These three races will tell you a lot about the true balance of power. That’s why everyone in the team works to the max. In addition, Sergio Perez’s car was badly damaged in Monaco and Montreal.

Question: A few weeks ago you extended Perez’s contract to increase his motivation. Was it a mistake to extend his contract so early?
Helmut Marko: We extended his contract because we wanted to achieve peace in the team, but unfortunately that didn’t quite work out. But now Sergio still has three races ahead of him on real circuits to prove himself.

Q: When asked which team has the best driver pair, you named Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. This doesn’t speak well for Perez…
Helmut Marko: But it is so! They are young and always very close together, especially in qualifying. And both will continue to improve, especially Piastri.

Question: What do you think of the Antonelli-Verstappen pairing?
Helmut Marko: Antonelli is an absolute Mercedes man, there is no point in us thinking about him.

Question: There are rumors that Verstappen could replace Russell at Mercedes in 2026. What do you think?
Helmut Marko: There is still so much time before that. We are now concentrating on the coming races and winning the title again. Our biggest advantage is that other teams take points from each other. I hope it stays that way.