Red Bull F1 chief Helmut Marko teases McLaren WEAKNESS in championship battle

McLaren

Marko teases McLaren WEAKNESS in championship battle

McLaren challenged Red Bull for the title in 2024

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Monday 30 December 2024 13:56

Red Bull chief Helmut Marko has identified McLaren’s weakness in their championship battle during the 2024 Formula 1 season.

Following a dominant start to the year from Max Verstappen, McLaren revived the season and entered a championship battle with Red Bull after Lando Norris’ maiden win at the Miami Grand Prix.

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Not only did McLaren’s pace begin to converge with their rivals, but certain weaknesses were soon exposed on the RB20.

The Miami, Imola and Monaco grands prix demonstrated Red Bull’s inability to deal with the bumps and kerbs, and their balance issues rendered them unable to commit upon corner entry.

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Whilst Red Bull’s performance hindered the team in the constructors’ championship, Verstappen still clinched the drivers' title ahead of Norris.

McLaren, on the other hand, claimed their first constructors’ trophy since 1998, but failed to escape scrutiny in their resurgence this season.

The team’s attitude towards Norris and Oscar Piastri garnered criticism, with the talented pair often taking points off each other and hindering McLaren's chances in the drivers' championship.

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Red Bull chief Marko has since outlined their weaknesses in the title fight, and criticised their tactical decisions during the 2024 season.

"It was a very difficult year for us, especially with our technical problems," Marko said to Kleine Zeitung.

"At some point we no longer knew where we had taken a wrong turn and at times we only had the fourth-fastest car.

"In this situation Max saved us by getting around the car's weaknesses. The turning point was definitely his incredible performance in the rain in Brazil.

"Despite the technical problems, we never made any mistakes in terms of strategy, unlike McLaren in some situations."

Max Verstappen McLaren Lando Norris Helmut Marko Miami Grand Prix