Marko delivers critical blow to Mercedes F1 title hopes

Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko has ruled Mercedes out of F1 title contention after only one race.

The Brackley-based outfit entered the year hoping to put its difficult 2022 season behind it, where it secured just one victory.

But Lewis Hamilton and George Russell finished only fifth and seventh at the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix - the seven-time champion finishing 51 seconds behind race-winner Max Verstappen.

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Speaking to RTL and sport.de, Marko said: "The world championship title is out of reach for Mercedes,"

"[Its concept doesn't have] one problem, but several. The solution didn't come over the winter either."

'You can't design two or three cars'

Marko thinks that adopting a different car concept during the season would be "a difficult undertaking" for Mercedes given the budget cap, despite Toto Wolff dismissing concerns over how the financial restrictions could affect their development.

"You can't design two or three cars," Marko said.

"If a completely new car comes along now, it will be difficult from the financial limits. And the new car won't be competitive from the start, you have to develop it further.

"They don't have the three days of testing and the racing experience."

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