"They are just slower"- Red Bull claims 2022 F1 Austrian GP will prove to be 'much more difficult' for Mercedes

Red Bull senior advisor Helmut Marko believes the 2022 F1 Austrian GP weekend will be a tough one for Mercedes. The 79-year-old feels the circuit demands their car be raised, which could hurt their performance significantly.

Speaking to Red Bull-owned ServusTV, Marko said:

“I assume that it will be much more difficult for Mercedes again. They have to raise the car. No problem, they are just slower. The difficult thing is that you have very fast corners, very tight corners, you have to brake twice from well over 300kph, and finding the right set-up between mechanical and aerodynamic grip is the crucial thing. But as I said, Max is the record four-time winner here and is also specially motivated. And especially with this Dutch fan base in the background... it’s electrifying.”

The senior Red Bull advisor believes that the nature of the circuit will mean Mercedes will have to raise the rear of the car with will cost them performance. Hence, finding the right set-up aerodynamically will be key to the Silver Arrows' performance at the 2022 F1 Austrian GP. Further praising Max Verstappen’s four victories and the electrifying atmosphere of the Dutch fans on the circuit, Marko feels the atmosphere can be significantly boosted and motivated towards the performance.

---

Red Bull reveals Honda’s special turbocharger as the reason behind Austrian GP success

Making a unique revelation, Helmut Marko revealed that a significant reason for the success of Red Bull on its home circuit is a special turbocharger made by Honda. According to the Austrian, the unique turbocharger gives the engine a significant advantage at higher altitudes in Spielberg.

Highlighting the prime reason for the Milton Keynes squad’s success at the Spielberg track, Marko said:

“It’s the engine. And Honda has a special turbocharger, which has a small but decisive advantage in the altitude, which is 670 meters there, in about the past few years. And that has also been very important for us. There we celebrated our first victory with the Honda engine. That was quite crucial for the cooperation and especially until 2025, that we can fall back on this [power unit] source.”

With pole position secured ahead of the sprint race of the 2022 F1 Austrian GP weekend, the Milton Keynes team looks set to dominate its home ground and capitalize on the extra points. Although Ferrari is back in strong form in terms of its pace, Mercedes will also be in contention for the top spot as it seems to have improved its pace in qualifying.