21 out of 22 wins. That was Red Bull’s record last year, where the RB19 won 95.45 percent of the races, the highest percentage for an F1 car that entered for a whole F1 season. But 2024 doesn’t look as invincible as last year with Carlos Sainz already taking a win away from Red Bull’s pocket. And now, Helmut Marko has sent a warning to Christian Horner and Co. regarding the Chinese GP. 

Red Bull’s formidable pace at the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian GP instilled the fear of a 2023 rerun in drivers’ minds. However, Australia came as a much-awaited win for a Non Red Bull driver. Although Max Verstappen did retire from the race, it is presumed that even if he didn’t, he wouldn’t have won the race as Carlos Sainz and Ferrari’s race pace was super strong and they were kinder on their tires. 

Wait what? Is Ferrari being kind on tires, even more so than Red Bull? Yes, you read it right. The abrasive track surface in Australia called for multiple pit stop strategies. Red Bull underestimated the tire wear and suffered during the Australian GP. China’s track is also known for its uneven surface that can destroy the tires. And this is what Helmut Marko is warning Christian Horner and Red Bull about. 

According to Motorsport-Total.com, Helmut Marko said, “We haven’t been to China for three or four years. And I hope that we don’t have a surprise there like in Melbourne, [where] the road surface was so aggressive, where we were completely wrong when it came to tire wear, which in and of itself is one of our strengths. There could perhaps be another surprise in this direction. But we have been warned by Melbourne and I think we now know more about how to react.”

But it’s not all bad news for Helmut Marko as the Shanghai International Circuit recently tried to rectify the uneven surfaces. 

The Changes Made to the Chinese GP Circuit; Track Surface Problems Resolved

The current generation of F1 cars hasn’t raced at the Shanghai International Circuit even once. In the past, the uneven surface of the track used to cause some problems for the teams, but for the current generation of cars, it could’ve been disastrous. The cars are super sensitive to bumps and inconsistencies in the track. As a result, FIA inspected the track and asked the organizers to get the changes made to the track. 

Herman Tilke, the original designer of the track was contacted and was asked to make the necessary changes requested by the FIA. Using the latest 3D technology, modifications were made to the track. With the teams having no prior data on the current generation of cars on the track and the new track surface, it’s going to be uncharted waters for all the teams. 

Which team do you think will perform well at the Chinese GP? Will Ferrari be able to beat Red Bull, like they did in Australia?