The Qatar Grand Prix appeared to tip the balance of the 2021 F1 title race in Mercedes’ favor, with Lewis Hamilton claiming a dominant victory. Red Bull’s Helmut Marko, on the other hand, believes the Silver Arrows have lost a key area.
The Qatar Grand Prix, according to Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko, showed how Mercedes no longer has a straight-line speed advantage over Red Bull.
At the Losail International Circuit, the Silver Arrows had a solid weekend, with Lewis Hamilton securing a commanding victory from pole position. Meanwhile, after starting seventh on the grid due to a grid penalty, Max Verstappen was able to finish second.
While the title fight appeared to be moving towards Hamilton and Mercedes in Qatar, Marko believes Red Bull has closed the gap on their competitors when it comes to performance on long straights during a race.
“Our race pace was significantly better than our speed during qualifying,” Marko said.
“We are closer to the top speeds. For the first time in weeks we have no disadvantage.”
Tactical problems in Qatar
Despite failing to catch Hamilton in the Qatar Grand Prix, Verstappen showed good pace, and Marko believes the Dutchman could have posed a greater challenge if the team had been able to beat Mercedes at pit stops.
However, the Silver Arrows were quick to react to Verstappen’s stop, preventing Red Bull from using the undercut.
“Maybe we could have cracked them with an undercut,” Marko explained.
“As a result [of Mercedes reacting], our tactical options disappeared right away.”
Marko also believes that Verstappen would not have been able to close the distance to Hamilton in the final stages of the Grand Prix.
“If Max attacked, there would immediately be a counter-attack from Hamilton. It would be very risky to somehow get close,” the Austrian said.
Red Bull chose to pit Verstappen near the finish of the race in order to gain an additional point for the fastest lap.
With only two races remaining, Verstappen’s lead over Hamilton in the Drivers’ standings has fallen to to eight points after the race in Qatar.
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