09 June 2023 , 16:54
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Helmut Marko insists he doesn't mean to sound arrogant when he brushes off improvements made by Mercedes in recent weeks.
The Silver Arrows struggled to be competitive again in the early rounds of the season. Then, last month, they arrived in Monaco with upgrades including a notably different aerodynamic package.
The tight principality street circuit was not the best place to judge just how effective the changes were. So there was plenty of intrigue about how Mercedes would get on at the Spanish Grand Prix.
Overall, the Barcelona weekend was a resounding success. Lewis Hamilton comfortably finished second behind the rampant Max Verstappen, while George Russell recovered from a poor qualifying to join them on the podium.
With that result, Mercedes leapfrogged Aston Martin into second place in the constructors' standings. Not that Red Bull are concerned, judging by Marko's reaction.
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The long-serving team adviser pointed to the fact neither Hamilton nor Russell ever threatened Verstappen at the front as evidence that their position as top dog on the grid remains very much intact.
"The updates from our competitors have only brought about a shift," he told Osterreich. Marko noted that Mercedes are now the closest to them, but pointed to the fact the chasm between Red Bull and everyone else only continues to grow.
Helmut Marko says he is not concerned about Mercedes' progress (Getty Images)He added: "But, without wanting to be arrogant, they didn't really get any closer to us, they just took turns. And that's good for us again, because our lead in the world championship is increasing with every race."
Meanwhile, former F1 racer Jolyon Palmer thinks Mercedes' result was "flattered" by the fact their rivals struggled in Barcelona. "It's more likely that, whilst the upgrades worked, the track characteristics also enhanced their performance," he asserted.
"Canada in a couple of weeks' time might be a more interesting comparison, as it's more akin to the street circuits we've had thus far... Silverstone is the next closest circuit to Barcelona coming up, with a few more races of fine tuning and additional upgrades to come first – could that be the first real chance for Mercedes to challenge Red Bull's domination?"