Confidence high at Red Bull: 'Update brought more than expected'

Helmut Marko is optimistic ahead of the new 2022 Formula One season. The Austrian saw an important update work out well at his team and the atmosphere is a lot better since Max Verstappen's world title.

A lot of confidence at Red Bull

It has been a fine winter break for Red Bull Racing. Although the team missed out on the constructors' title, it did win the drivers' title with Verstappen. The Dutchman took the world title at the expense of Lewis Hamilton in the absolute final stages, and according to Marko, the team is still reaping the benefits of this.

''It was important to break the dominance of Mercedes. That is good for the sport and was our goal. We knew we had to win to keep Max. The whole team has become much more confident now. In twenty years at Red Bull, I've never seen everything work as quickly as it did at this winter test,'' Marko praised at Kronen Zeitung.

RB18 works well

Confidence is therefore high at the Austrian formation. ''Yes, because the basic concept is good. We bounce, but in a way that is not dangerous for the driver or the chassis, and the last update also gave us just a bit more than we expected,'' Marko concludes.

How good Red Bull really is we will only see during the Bahrain Grand Prix, which takes place this weekend. Verstappen set the fastest time during the winter test in Bahrain, but no points were awarded. Ferrari seems to be a major competitor and Mercedes can never be discounted despite a poor test.