Marko is sure: 'Then Ricciardo would have been 2nd to Verstappen'

Visa Cash App RB, formerly AlphaTauri and Toro Rosso, have broken new ground for the 2024 Formula 1 season. Cooperation with Red Bull Racing has intensified and the team have been given a new identity. Helmut Marko has high hopes for VCARB and even thinks Daniel Ricciardo could have run second fastest on the first day of testing, were it not for the fact that he was hampered on the track.

Marko has high hopes for VCARB

Judging by the performance during the first day of winter testing in Bahrain, Red Bull's sister team could be in a much better position than last year. Ricciardo closed Wednesday's session with the fourth fastest time behind Max Verstappen, Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz.

The Australian himself was particularly reluctant to push too hard. Helmut Marko, on the other hand, sees a lot of potential: "If Ricciardo had not been hampered by Pierre Gasly yesterday, he would have set the second-fastest lap," the 80-year-old Austrian let Auto, Motor und Sport said.

Ricciardo may have been over 1.2 seconds behind Verstappen, but he was very close to the drivers in front of him. He was only down by 0.015 seconds on Sainz and the difference with Norris on P2 was just over a tenth.