Earlier this week, former Red Bull driver Alexander Albon openly confessed that the Milton Keynes outfit had to give up their 2022 F1 development in a bid to win Max Verstappen the championship title. This revelation consequently led to a lot of concerns over Red Bull’s chances of beating Mercedes in 2022.

With the defending constructors’ world champions pushing hard to extend their domination, it looked like Red Bull’s alleged pause in the 2022 development might only solidify Mercedes’ probability of winning the title this year. However, quite interestingly, Dr. Helmut Marko managed to put an end to the ever-growing concerns.

According to Motorsport, the Austrian reckoned there was a tinge of misinterpretation in Albon’s recent comments. Furthermore, he revealed that Red Bull had two different programs working in tandem throughout the 2021 campaign; one that focused on the active season and one that built their 2022 challenger.

“Albon’s statements were misinterpreted. We had two different development programs in 2021 and they both worked in parallel. Unless someone finds something special in the rules, there is no reason why Mercedes and we should not be favorites again this year,” he said.

Watch Story: Mad Max: Verstappen’s Angriest Rants on Team Radio

What did Albon say about Red Bull?

Albon claimed that Red Bull’s attention gradually deviated from 2022 and fell onto the 2021 season, especially ahead of the trip to the middle-east.

“I used 50 percent on the car for 2021 and 50 percent on the car for next year,” he said. “But as the championship got closer and closer we stopped focusing on next year’s car and started focusing more on this year’s car. Especially in the last two races in Jeddah and Abu Dhabi, we tried a little harder than usual, and yes, it worked well.”

Albon further defended the team’s decision to focus on the RB16-B. “In some ways, you only have to think short-term in the championship. When you have the car at the start of the season to win the championship To win, you have to put everything on one card.”

Overall, a rather crucial season ahead as Red Bull look to find a way past their rivals, Mercedes. So, will they manage to achieve the long-dreamt goal? Or will Mercedes continue to hold the mantle?

Read More: How Big Is the F1 Fuel Tank?