--- title: "Red Bull Should ‘Fear’ Mercedes in 2023 F1 Season: Marko" description: "Red Bull feels that Mercedes' improvement toward the end of last season makes it more of a threat in 2023 than Ferrari." date: "2023-01-08" modified: "2023-01-08" authors: - name: "Nico DeMattia" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/nico-demattia" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/red-bull-should-fear-mercedes-in-2023-f1-season-marko" categories: - "News" - "Racing" --- # Red Bull Should ‘Fear’ Mercedes in 2023 F1 Season: Marko ![]() *Photo | Robert Szaniszló/NurPhoto via Getty Images* Red Bull's dominant 2022 season was literally one for the record books, as both the team and its star driver [Max Verstappen]() broke a few F1 records along the way to clinching both the driver's and manufacturer's championships well before the end of the season. While [Ferrari ]()finished P2 in both the manufacturer's and driver's standings, it was a distant second. So distant, in fact, that [Red Bull ]()doesn't seem particularly afraid of Ferrari for the upcoming 2023 season. Instead, Red Bull is more concerned with another rival—Mercedes. According to *[Autosport]()*, Red Bull team advisor Helmut Marko spoke about next year's competition and named Mercedes as a bigger threat than Ferrari. "I would say that we should fear Mercedes more," Marko said. "Mainly because they have an advantage over Ferrari in terms of strategy and reliability." Marko's feelings aren't without merit. Last season, Ferrari's cars and drivers were more than capable of being every bit as dominant as Red Bull but countless breakdowns and strategy missteps saw an incredibly promising team squander its chances of victory. Mocking Ferrari's race and tire management became a weekly social media meme, with former team principal Mattia Binotto serving as the media's primary punching bag. ![]() *Photo | KARIM SAHIB/AFP via Getty Images* At the same time, Mercedes started the 2022 season out slowly, as it came to grips with the new technical and mechanical regulations. However, Mercedes ended the season on a roll, with driver George Russell snagging the team's only win of the season and Lewis Hamilton pressuring Verstappen for the lead on a weekly basis. So as Ferrari stumbled, Mercedes got its ball rolling as the season went on, leading Marko to feel that Mercedes can carry that momentum into 2023. He also feels that Red Bull's advantage last season wasn't as big as it may have seemed. "Our situation is certainly not like that of Mercedes at the beginning of the hybrid era," said Marko. "And we shouldn't forget, 2022 has been the first year under this new set of regulations. Other teams have obviously seen what we have done with this year's car." While it's understandable that Marko feels Mercedes is its biggest threat, it must be mentioned that Binotto retired from Ferrari after the season ended. In his place is former Alfa Romeo boss, and Sauber Motorsport CEO, Fred Vasseur. So while Ferrari certainly underperformed last season, especially given its impressive car and talented drivers, Vasseur's team could perform very differently. The 2023 F1 season should be an exciting one, as more teams improve their cars and strategy to catch up to Red Bull. The three-way battle for the top, between Red Bull, Mercedes, and Ferrari, should be a thrilling one to watch, especially if other teams join in on the fun. *Got tips? Send 'em to tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Nico is a writer and reviewer from New Jersey who probably thinks he’s a lot funnier than he actually is. His love of cars began when he was just a kid playing Gran Turismo 3, grinding out enough race wins with a Mazda Miata to save up for an in-game RUF 911. That passion for small, lightweight sports cars drove his desire to learn more about the industry, get his hands on as many cars as he could, and bring those experiences to life on the page. He cut his teeth writing about BMWs, Volkswagens, and Audis, mostly, and has owned far too many of each. He’s on his fourth 3 Series sedan, but all of his old, cheap German cars have forced him to learn more about car maintenance than his mechanical capability can handle. Too many late nights have been spent scrambling to get a car running by morning so he could get to work. For some reason, he never seems to learn that old Bimmers probably aren’t the best daily drivers. But he loves more than just old German cars. He’ll gladly drive and discuss anything with four (or even three) wheels. Cars aren’t his only passions, though. Nico is also a big nerd and loves movies, video games, comic books, and cares far too much about the New York Giants. So don’t be surprised if you see football references or dumb, obscure movie quotes in any of his car reviews. ### Author social links [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()