Red Bull Racing advisor Helmut Marko sees a big advantage over Mercedes in Spain. The German team would have problems with the rear tyres, especially on tracks with a lot of grip. Catalunya would be such a track.
In Portugal, Mercedes had little trouble with the rear tyres, as the tarmac is a lot smoother than at other circuits. Circuit de Catalunya has much more grip, which should work to Red Bull's advantage, Marko thinks.
High grip problems for Mercedes
"Mercedes has problems with the rear tyres. The more grippy the tarmac, the greater the chance of overheating and therefore performance loss," says Marko in conversation with RTL Germany. However, this is not the only benefit. "The corners will also suit our car better," Marko believes.
Verstappen expects the Barcelona circuit to suit the RB16B well. But the Dutchman also thinks Mercedes will be "very fast again".