Marko: 2021 car development on schedule, testing delay eased pressure

In the last few seasons, Red Bull have shown promise in pre-season testing only to fall behind Mercedes once the season began for real, and this year the team has to grapple with using the same car under different rules which Marko says caused downforce losses of around 20 percent compared to last year. Speaking to Auto Motor und Sport , Marko said the team’s engineers are working hard to regain the downforce lost due to the rule changes, which impact everything from the underbody to the diffuser and rear brake vents. However, the Austrian also noted that the delay of winter testing in Bahrain by 10 days until mid-March played into the manufacturer’s hands. “It is more pleasant that the production is not so under pressure. We will come to Bahrain with appropriate spare parts,” he said. While noting the extra time, Marko also remained coy on the exact state of play with the car, saying that “every driver, every technical group reports that they are on the right track. That is always the same at this time.”