"They are big points down the drain" - Red Bull asked to work harder on the issues by its former F1 driver

Red Bull need to stop leaking points and work harder after their troubled start to the 2022 F1 season, according to former F1 driver Mark Webber.

Webber began his F1 career with Minardi in 2002 before going on to drive for Jaguar and Williams. The Australian then joined Red Bull for seven seasons and was part of their all-conquering team between 2010 and 2014.

During a conversation on Channel 4 in Australia, Webber admitted that the RB18 was fast but not strong enough to take on the Ferrari F1-75. He said:

“Of course, the speed’s there. They are strong but [they were] not strong enough to win the race [in Australia]. But when you hemorrhage 18 points and maybe the fastest lap and all the rest of it, they are big points down the drain, huge points. And [Charles] Leclerc is doubling down — another victory, another fastest lap, so it’s tricky for them. It’s a long season. Red Bull are not going anywhere in a hurry, but these points will be tricky to get back.”

Christian Horner's side have a 50% race completion rate in 2022. Max Verstappen has already admitted it is going to be a big task to erase the deficit between him and championship leader Charles Leclerc. The Dutchman has already lost 36 points in the two races he failed to finish this year.

---

Dr. Helmut Marko predicts difficult times for Red Bull after 2022 F1 Australian GP

Red Bull must be ready for a difficult season ahead after Max Verstappen's retirement from the 2022 F1 Australian GP, according to Dr. Helmut Marko.

The veteran Austrian is an advisor to the Milton Keynes-based team as well as the person helming their illustrious junior driver program.

During a conversation with Sky Sports Germany after the race in Melbourne, the 78-year-old was asked about the team's reliability concerns and what it could mean in the championship battles. Marko said:

“We don’t just have these reliability problems, which are actually largely unknown to us – we don’t know that at all. The other thing is this weight problem. We’re well ahead [heavier] of Ferrari there. That’s a difficult balancing act, even with the cost cap. Difficult times are ahead of us. We were surprised at how fast Ferrari was today.”

It remains to be seen how well Christian Horner and Co. will address these issues ahead of the fourth race of the season in Imola, Italy. The Emilia Romagna GP is scheduled to be held on April 24.