Helmut Marko believes the ‘Max factor’ could turn the race in rainy conditions

Helmut Marko, a key expert who helped shape Red Bull's young driver academy, was not at all optimistic about the team's chances after a difficult training session in Australia. Nevertheless, Marko emphasized that Max Verstappen can always bring a surprise, especially in rainy conditions, which is a factor that could quite change the outcome.

Rain as a possible turning point

Red Bull currently has high hopes for the upcoming Australian Grand Prix, especially due to the predicted rainy conditions on Sunday. In such conditions, Max Verstappen could achieve an incredible result, thanks to his ability to get the most out of each car, regardless of the circumstances. Marko highlighted this as a key point after both Red Bull drivers showed problems during training in Melbourne.

The RB21, the car that Red Bull is fielding this year, has already shown weaknesses during pre-season tests in Bahrain, and the situation in Australia has not brought massive improvement, despite several upgrades, including a new floor. 

Verstappen and Liam Lawson finished the first practice in fifth and sixteenth place, respectively, and in the second practice they failed to achieve a better result, with Verstappen four tenths of a second behind the leaders.

Verstappen stressed that the balance of the car was not "totally bad", but the bigger problem was the lack of grip, which caused the car to be unpredictable and prone to skidding, especially in the first and last sectors of the Albert Park circuit.

"The first training session was better," Marko told German Sky Sports. 

"The changes we made did not produce the desired results. We still have one session, but I estimate that we are two to three tenths behind, and we can realistically aim for the second starting row."

Marko also explained that the car often behaves unpredictably, switching between understeer and oversteer, which negatively affects tire degradation during longer stints. Although they are not at the top, Marko is sure that Red Bull can fight for the podium, if the conditions remain stable.

Liam Lawson, who replaced the injured Daniel Ricciardo last year, is still adjusting to Formula 1. He has no experience with the track in Melbourne, because he switched from Formula 2 to Super Formula. Marko pointed out that Lawson is still not using the full potential of the car, but he believes that he could show a better result in the following sessions.