Former Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has also expressed criticism about the first race under the new regulations. The Austrian emphasizes that one should not judge the new cars too quickly, although he simultaneously says that the overtaking maneuvers in Melbourne felt very artificial. Furthermore, lifting off the throttle on the straights will never truly fit the DNA of Formula 1, he believes.
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The season opener in Australia was won by George Russell, closely followed by Kimi Antonelli. It meant a first one-two for Mercedes, which already possessed the most competitive car based on winter testing. Red Bull, Helmut Marko’s former team, took eight points thanks to Max Verstappen, who fought his way forward from twentieth on the grid. Isack Hadjar had a better starting position but retired early with engine failure.
‘Doesn’t fit with the DNA of Formula 1’
Initially, Marko could still appreciate the race, especially due to the battle in the opening phase between Russell and Charles Leclerc. “The first few laps were a beautiful spectacle,” he concluded at Sport.de. “When the Mercedes drivers stopped fighting and drove away, however, it became clear how dominant Mercedes actually is.” According to Marko, the many overtaking maneuvers also did not give a realistic picture of the quality of the racing. Formula 1 proudly promoted on social media that there were 120 overtakes, compared to 45 a year ago, but Marko questioned that.
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“I wouldn’t even call it overtaking,” he stated critically. “The drivers simply drove past each other, which means classic overtaking hasn’t really improved: we didn’t see actions where someone braked later or came out of the corner better.” According to Marko, energy management clashes most with the character of the sport. “The most annoying thing is to hear that someone lifts off the gas pedal on the straight,” he sighed. “That is simply difficult to reconcile with the DNA of Formula 1. But again: the regulations are still in an early stage. Progress will certainly be made.”
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