Helmut Marko feels Mercedes will use customer teams to hinder Red Bull in F1 title battle

Red Bull Racing advisor Helmut Marko feels Mercedes will use McLaren and Aston Martin to their advantage in the final two races of the year.

The 2021 F1 season has seen an intense battle between Red Bull and Mercedes, both on and off track. Christian Horner and Toto Wolff often engage in verbal spats while their star drivers Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton battle it out on track.

In an interview with Motorsport.com Netherlands, Helmut Marko, a former racing driver and current team advisor, spoke about the ongoing tussle between Red Bull and Mercedes. Commenting on Mercedes' protests against the Red Bull RB16B's sagging rear wing and the speedy pitstops performed by the team, he said:

"When Mercedes saw that we were equal or even faster, they first came up with flexi-wings and then with all kinds of other false arguments. We took those actions as a very unsportsmanlike gesture and also concentrated on what happens at Mercedes, for example with those wings. That all adds up when the battle is as intense as this year and especially if someone is not used to it... that another team can offer competition."

McLaren and Aston Martin both use Mercedes engines, and the Austrian feels that the Silver Arrows might try to use their customer teams to their advantage. In reference to a broader strategy by the German squad, he said:

"If it doesn't come from Mercedes itself, then a team that is close to Mercedes will be put forward."

By the same token, many feel that Pierre Gasly, driving for Red Bull's sister team Alpha Tauri, helped Max Verstappen at the Qatar Grand Prix. The Frenchman allegedly failed to open his DRS on the main straight, letting Verstappen pass easily.

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Mercedes and Red Bull battle to continue at Saudi Arabian Grand Prix

The gap between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton is down to a mere eight points following the Qatar Grand Prix. As such, the two teams and their drivers will be eager to run laps on the new Jeddah Corniche Circuit as soon as Friday's first practice gets underway. Being a brand new venue, whoever hits on a better setup first is likely to enjoy an advantage.

The two teams are also battling it out for the constructors' championship, with Mercedes currently leading by just five points. Both teams will be expecting stellar performances from their No. 2 drivers in order to maximize their points haul.

The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix weekend is scheduled to be held from December 3-5, 2021 at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit.