Helmut Marko makes a surprising claim on rivals Mercedes and why he wants them to be 'strong again' 

Red Bull Team Advisor Dr. Helmut Marko revealed that he really wants rivals Mercedes to be 'strong again' on the grid.

Red Bull and Mercedes have been bitter rivals for quite some time now and have not minced their words when speaking against each other. After trying for eight years, the Austrian team was finally able to knock their rivals off the perch and take their sport as the best team in the sport in 2022.

However, speaking to Sport1, Marko stated that it was important for Mercedes to be strong so that the Germans don't lose interest in the sport. He said:

“It’s incredible what’s happening in Germany right now. In Austria, it is exactly the opposite. Formula 1 is booming more than ever before. The Red Bull team is seen as the Austrian national team, and the whole country is cheering on that.”

"That’s why I even hope that Mercedes will be strong again so that the Germans will identify with them."

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"The first day so it's impossible to say where we stand" – Mercedes Trackside Engineering Director

Andrew Shovlin revealed that it was impossible for them to judge where they stood in the pecking order after just one day of testing.

Speaking to Autosport, he said:

“The performance picture is always blurred after the first day so it's impossible to say where we stand, but we've already identified several key areas where we can find some performance. We'll work on the assumption that we're playing catch-up and need to pull out all the stops to find performance ahead of the first race here in one week's time."

He added:

“The next two days are going to be just as packed as today as we're squeezing every bit of learning we can into the program. Hopefully, the car continues to run like clockwork, and we can make the most of the remaining track time. We've got to keep pushing, focus on ourselves, and stay focused. It's difficult to know where we are in the order, but we'll get a better feeling in the days to come.”

Everyone, including the fans, wants the former world champions to join the championship fight and have a three-way battle against Red Bull and Ferrari. It would be interesting to see if this becomes a reality and if Helmut Marko gets his wish at the first race of the season next week in Bahrain.