The two teams have each achieved one victory this year. Lewis Hamilton won the season opener in Bahrain and Max Verstappen triumphed in Imola last weekend.
Both teams have very little choice of performance between the two cars and continue to try hard to improve their packages as much as possible.
However, with the F1 teams knowing they need to devote as much resources as possible to developing the brand new Challenger 2022, there will soon be a point where they will have to decide when to abandon the current project.
However, Red Bull motorsport advisor Marko believes that one of the consequences for his team and Mercedes if things stay this tight is that they both have to keep working past the ideal point to stop.
He knows that Red Bull has to do everything to win the title. He therefore welcomes the enthusiasm that the team’s shape has generated.
“We need this euphoria and also the passion and enthusiasm,” he told Red Bull’s own broadcaster ServusTV. “There are 19 races left [sic, 21 according to current schedule]and we have to give everything.
“The problem will arise before the summer break, when capacities for the new development of the car in 2022 are theoretically available.
“The only thing is: if we are both still so close together, I believe that neither Mercedes nor we – and certainly not us – will step back anywhere in the development.”
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The difference in performance between the Red Bull and Mercedes vehicles seems to be very small. The RB16B appears to be faster in one lap, but the W12 appears to have an advantage in tire management over long distances.
Marko is currently assuming that Mercedes has the advantage at race pace, although the cooler conditions at Imola have affected things a bit too.
“I think Mercedes saw the faster car across the track at Imola,” he said. “We were faster in the individual lap. But I also think that it has to do with the lower temperatures. In addition, the handling of the tires on the Mercedes chassis is a little better at the moment.”
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner believes it will take at least two more races to get an accurate picture of which teams have the advantage in F1.
“I think we had a sample of two races now and I’ve always said it would take about four races to really reflect the competitive position of each team,” he said.
“We’re starting to see a pattern that is very, very tight between the cars and Lewis and Max. And right now it’s marginal gains here and there.
“We see that they have very good range and deterioration. But definitely [the Imola weekend] cement the pace we had in both the Bahrain test and the Bahrain race.
“And I hope selfishly for us, but I also think for Formula 1, they are screaming for a great rivalry between these two drivers. The sport will benefit from it.”
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