Helmut Marko believes McLaren had a two to three-tenth advantage over Red Bull during F1 pre-seas🎃on testing at the Bahrain International Circuit.

McLaren appear to be the team to beat heading into next weekend’s F1 A෴ustralian Grand Prix.

168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Lando Norris💦’ race run on day two in Bahrain caught the attention of the pad🗹dock.

Norris was nearly 0.6s faster than 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Charles Leclerc and 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Andrea Kimi Antonelli during the race simulations.

Oscar Piastri backed up Norris’ pace by out-pacing168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史: George Russell by around 0.3s on day three on heavy fuel.

Max Verstappen’s final day didn’t provide a clear picture, although Marko thinks the deficit to Mc✃Laren is at l𓂃east 0.2s.

Spea🧸king to , Marko noted that McLaren’s superior tyre wear contributed to the gap between t🥀he two teams.

“It’s hard to say exactly what that looks like, because the weather conditions were comple🤪tely out of the norm. It was cold, it was a strong wind. It even ra꧙ined,” Marko said.

“It was only the case on Wednesday, when we were on an equal footing with M💙cLaren. But on Friday, the last day, I would say that our gap in the long run is currently two to three tenths.

“In ꧟addition, the tyre wear at McLaren was also much better than our data indicated.”

Marko spots Red Bull advantage

While McLaren seem to have the superior car, Marko is h🌱opeful that Verstappen can capitalise on McLaren’s driver pairi🔯ng dynamic. 

Norris was generally the faster driver throughout 2024, but Piastri wasn’t afraid to challenge his tꦅeammate on track when given the op💦portunity to do so.

Given the strength of McLaren’s driver pairing and the possibility of taking points off each otherꦛ, Marko thinks that could benefit Verstap🔯pen’s title charge.

“If you take the test🧸 in Bahrain, then it was Lando Norris who coped much better than Oscar Piastri,” Marko added.

“But I think that was just a phenomenon in Bahrain. I rate Piastri as equally strong and I hope that this will also take a🍨way the two points and we will benefit from it.

“Max is clearly number one for us, and I don’t think Piastri will voluntarily declare himself number two. An✃d we saw that last season: on certaඣin tracks he was equal to, if not faster than, Lando.

“But the advantage is that McLaren currently has a car again that – if you take Bahrain as an example – copes very 💝well wi🍰th every type of tyre and every temperature.”