Helmut Marko is not concerned about Ferrari’s performance during Friday Free Practice. The two practice sessions at Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit saw the Ferrari driver performing exceptionally well and out-performing their competitors effortlessly. The driver from Monaco topped FP2 and has shown great potential throughout the Australian GP weekend so far, posing a significant challenge for Red Bull in the upcoming days.
When asked about his thoughts on Ferrari’s performance and Charles Leclerc, Red Bull consultant Helmut Marko believes that the performance gap between Leclerc and Max Verstappen is due to engine modes. He asserts that Ferrari used full power and their qualifying set-up during the practice sessions, while Red Bull did not push to their maximum potential.
Although Red Bull remains confident about their overall performance advantage, they are slightly concerned about Leclerc’s pace. As qualifying approaches, it is expected that Red Bull and Ferrari will compete for pole position on Saturday.
Max Verstappen had a more challenging Friday practice than usual. The three-time World Champion damaged his car’s floor after a visit to the gravel trap in FP1, resulting in 20 minutes lost for repairs in FP2.
Verstappen was unable to complete any long runs during the sessions, leaving him and the Red Bull team uncertain about the overall pace of the RB20 car in Melbourne. After the conclusion of the practice sessions, Verstappen discussed the steps they need to take to regain their rhythm for the rest of the weekend.
Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and [Name] displayed impressive speed throughout the practice sessions, with Leclerc topping FP2. It appears that Verstappen and Red Bull have a challenging task ahead for the remainder of the weekend.