Marko: Honda's "special turbocharger" key in Austrian GP
Red Bull Formula 1 advisor Helmut Marko says Honda's "special turbocharger" is part of the reason why the team is so strong at the higher altitude Red Bull Ring.
The Austrian Grand Prix, Red Bull's home race, was the scene of its first victory powered by Honda engines in 2019, courtesy of Max Verstappen.
While in 2020 Mercedes proved superior in Spielberg's two races, last year Verstappen won both the Styrian Grand Prix and Austrian Grand Prix at the venue from pole position.
When asked why Verstappen and Red Bull are so strong in Austria, Red Bull advisor Marko revealed Honda's "special turbocharger" works especially well at altitude, with Spielberg's hilly Red Bull Ring sitting at over 600 metres above mean sea level.
"It's the engine," Marko told Red Bull-owned Servus TV. "And Honda has a special turbocharger, which has a small but decisive advantage in the altitude, which is 670 meters there, in about the past few years.
"And that has also been very important for us. There we celebrated our first victory with the Honda engine.
"That was quite crucial for the cooperation and especially until 2025, that we can fall back on this [power unit] source."
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB18
Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images
Last week's British Grand Prix at Silverstone saw Mercedes back in the mix with Red Bull and Ferrari, with Lewis Hamilton finishing third after a scintillating late race battle with Red Bull's Sergio Perez and Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc.
But Marko believes its bitter rival will struggle more in Styria due to the bumpier nature of the track.
"I assume that it will be much more difficult for Mercedes again," Marko added. "They have to raise the car. No problem, they are just slower.
"The difficult thing is that you have very fast corners, very tight corners, you have to brake twice from well over 300kph, and finding the right set-up between mechanical and aerodynamic grip is the crucial thing.
"But as I said, Max is the record four-time winner here and is also specially motivated. And especially with this Dutch fan base in the background, it's electrifying."
How to become a Composite Design Engineer in F1 – Qualifications, skills and more
Norris: Top speed "weakness" could hinder McLaren in Austria
Hamilton won’t “punish himself” for F1 Singapore GP mistake
Lewis Hamilton says that he won’t punish himself for the mistake that ruined his Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix.
Leclerc "surprised" at how Perez surged clear in F1 Singapore GP closing stages
Charles Leclerc admitted he was surprised how Sergio Perez could pull so far clear in the closing stages of Formula 1’s Singapore Grand Prix after breaking free of DRS range.
Perez penalised but keeps Singapore GP win after stewards investigation
Sergio Perez has kept his Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix victory despite receiving a penalty and a reprimand for two separate safety car rule infringements.
Perez explains "miscommunication" with F1 safety car during Singapore GP
Sergio Perez blamed a "miscommunication" with the safety car for being investigated for breaching the rules on his way to victory in Formula 1’s Singapore Grand Prix.
The time-honoured manufacturer model that can't apply to all F1 teams
What happens, asks MATT KEW, if the old adage of win on a Sunday, sell on a Monday is no longer true for F1 manufacturers?
Why is Oscar Piastri F1's most sought-after rookie?
The Australian rising star is fast, consistent, confident, adaptable and has shown excellent racecraft, but there’s already a taint to his reputation. That hasn’t stopped him becoming the hottest property in this year’s F1 driver market and why McLaren moved fast to snap up the 21-year-old
The unintended benefit that F1's new engine rules era will deliver
Formula 1's incoming engine rules shake-up has multiple targets. But it may also solve what has been a bone of contention since the hybrids arrived in 2014. The new plan will allow the series to pump up the volume
How de Vries made himself impossible to ignore for a belated F1 chance
Nyck de Vries appeared to have missed his opportunity to break into Formula 1 as he was passed over for more exciting talents who have now become frontrunners and title fighters. But after catching the eye outside of the F1 sphere, before his stunning impromptu grand prix debut in Italy, will it lead to a delayed full-time race seat?
Can Hamilton produce another Singapore magic moment?
The Singapore Grand Prix has, explains BEN EDWARDS, played an important role in Lewis Hamilton’s Formula 1 career. As the series returns to the Marina Bay Street Circuit for the first time in three years, he faces the latest challenge with an underperforming Mercedes car
Why Sainz is key to Ferrari achieving its chairman's F1 goals
Although Ferrari's chances of title glory in 2022 have evaporated, chairman John Elkann expects the team to have chalked up both championships by 2026. Both require drivers to play the team game and, having now become more comfortable with the F1-75, Carlos Sainz may be Ferrari's key to title glory
How F1 has tried to avoid repeating its 2014 engine rules mistakes
With Formula 1’s future engine regulations now agreed, MARK GALLAGHER wonders if they will provide a more competitive field than past attempts actually managed
How its faltering first turbo car advanced a Williams-Honda glory era
STUART CODLING charts the development of the Williams FW09, the ugly duckling that heralded the start of the title-winning Williams-Honda partnership