"I will watch Mercedes more closely": Red Bull chief Helmut Marko comments on the flexi-wing saga brewing within the teams

Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko claimed that he would be watching Mercedes 'more closely' after the Austrian team suspected their rivals of having flexible front wings. The German team introduced a new front wing at the Monaco Grand Prix, which seemed to have given them more performance in the W15, making them a contender for victories as seen in Canada.

However, Red Bull reportedly hinted that they weren't entirely convinced by the legality of the wing.

Ahead of the Spanish GP, Helmut Marko speaking with ORF mentioned that he had taken it upon himself to closely monitor the new wing and look for any flexible movements in it that aren't permissible.

He said:

"I have a new task for myself this weekend. I will watch Mercedes more closely. The flexing front wing is an important issue. I have to make sure everything goes according to the rule book."

Speaking with OE24, the Austrian was adamant that the new wing was bending substantially in Montreal and giving Lewis Hamilton and George Russell an advantage over the other drivers. He added (via RacingNews365):

"From the TV pictures in Montreal, you can clearly see that the wings of Russell and Hamilton are bending noticeably - but the wings had the necessary strength to pass scrutineering. It doesn't surprise me and I don't know how often we've had to check our wings in the past."

Red Bull advisor analyzes their performance in Barcelona after Friday practice sessions

Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko stated that there was no reason for worry despite the world champions failing to finish either FP1 or FP2 on top of the timings sheets.

Speaking with Motorsport-Magazin.com, Marko spoke about the long-run pace of Max Verstappen in the FP2 session and how it was positive for the team, saying (via RacingNews365):

"We are not as bad as it seems. In terms of long runs we are there, but over a lap, we haven't found the balance yet. Unlike others, we have not driven at full power yet. With Max, we are on the right track and on Sunday, the grip on the track will change significantly."

"So you have to have a car that performs on Sunday. Max has already tried that, but we haven't been able to find the right balance."

Max Verstappen finished the FP1 session in P2 while he could only manage a P5 finish in the FP2 session despite showing promising signs in the long run. However, his Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez was nowhere close to him in either of the sessions as he finished a second behind Lewis Hamilton's fastest lap in the second practice session.

Carrying a three-place grid penalty from Canada, Perez could only manage a P5 and P13 in FP1 and FP2 respectively.