Performance of Ferrari caused surprise to Marko

Red Bull Racing had a tough first race weekend of 2022. The Austrian racing team hoped to start strong at the first Grand Prix in Bahrain, but struggled against Ferrari. At the end of the race, both Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez retired, which caused disappointment for Helmut Marko.

Red Bull's advisor was surprised by how Ferrari performed. During the winter tests in Barcelona and Bahrain it was already clear that the Italians were on the right track, but in the opening race it became clear that the team is even ready to fight for the world title.

For Marko, this caused a lot of concern. "There was little that went optimally," he announced in an interview with F1-Insider.com. "We were surprised by Ferrari's race pace, especially in the second sector we had no chance. By driving behind, our tyre wear was also higher."

Red Bull empty-handed in Bahrain

Verstappen did try to overtake Charles Leclerc just after the first pit stop, but the Monegasque did not give up easily. Twice the Ferrari driver managed to regain his position, after which he secured victory. Verstappen and Perez both did not make it to the end of the race due to problems with the fuel pump.