possibility of the team soon rejoining the fight at the front of
the F1 field. The Milton Keynes-based squad has been largely absent
from the battle at the front during the opening phase of the
season. It has scored just one podium in the first seven rounds,
courtesy of Max Verstappen, who finished third at the Canadian
Grand Prix. Mercedes has been the dominant force so far, taking six
wins from the opening seven races. However, its campaign has not
been entirely faultless, with George Russell and Kimi Antonelli
both suffering engine failures in Canada and Barcelona
respectively. “Under the new regulations, Mercedes is clearly the
favourite,” Marko told Kleine Zeitung . “However, they’ve now
suffered their second engine failure, which is unusual for them.”
Ferrari brought itself into the fight in Barcelona by introducing a
significant upgrade package to the event. Red Bull is expected to
unveil a sizeable enhancement at its home round this weekend, which
Marko is hopeful will see his former team leap up the pecking
order. “Generally speaking, it has to be said that updates are
certainly more effective at this stage of the regulations; you can
gain a five-tenths-of-a-second advantage,” he said. “Red Bull is
fielding a car at the weight limit for the first time, so they’ll
certainly be in the mix too. “I hope Max can then compete at the
front. Mercedes are the favourites, but the rest of the field is
more than interesting.”