Marko on RB18: "We faced two or three big hurdles"

Helmut Marko states that Red Bull Racing has faced two to three major hurdles while building the RB18. However, the 78-year-old Austrian does not tell which challenges these have been exactly. Furthermore, Marko's words show that Red Bull wants to keep its competitors in the dark for as long as possible.

In conversation with Kleine Zeitung, Marko reiterated that the RB18 that was presented on Wednesday does not resemble the car that Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez will race in the Bahrain Grand Prix. Red Bull is still working on updates that will be implemented in the coming weeks.

Marko speaks of few challenges

When the Austrian newspaper asked Marko where the biggest problems were that Red Bull's technicians were facing, he replied, "We were facing two or three big hurdles," he said, without specifying them exactly. That the Milton Keynes-based racing stable was facing a big job is clear. "It was the biggest regulatory change in the last fifteen or twenty years. All the new designs and planning also had to be done within the budget cap ."

On top of that, Red Bull was developing two cars in the final months of 2021. Verstappen was still fighting for the world title with his RB16B, but in the meantime, they also had to work on the RB18. Choices had to be made, but Marko is confident that last season's protracted World Championship battle has not been at the expense of the development process for the 2022 car.

Red Bull won't give anything away

The Bahrain GP is not the first time we will see the RB18 in action. The shakedown with a film day will take place soon and two more three-day winter tests are scheduled. Red Bull doesn't want to get too caught up in these moments either, so the final parts will only be assembled when the season really starts.