F1 | Red Bull, Marko satisfied with Honda data: "We too will have a party mode"

Interviewed by motorsport.com on the potential of the Honda power unit, Helmut Marko reassured all the fans of the Red Bull team, revealing how the Japanese engineer is extremely satisfied with the data collected to date on the bench.

As expected, in fact, the partnership with the Austrian Scuderia is helping the growth of the Japanese unit, an aspect on which Marko is strongly focusing for 2019. The objective, precisely in this sense, will be to arrive in the Mercedes zone and Ferrari, playing on the extraordinary qualities of the Red Bull chassis. A situation similar to that experienced from 2009 to 2013 with the Renault V8.

Here are the words of Helmut Marko: “The data makes us really optimistic, also when it comes to the increase in performance. For the first time we will be able to face the qualification with a 'party' mode. The Honda engine is slightly superior to the Renault one and this can be seen by analyzing the GPS data provided by our partner. We believe we will be in the zone of Mercedes and Ferrari."

“They obviously aren't sleeping”, added the Austrian Manager. “However, I believe that their level is already so high that they cannot make any further big steps forward. Even if we were 10 or 15 kW below, we will have the possibility to make up for it. It's not a very different situation from when we won with the V8s."