Red Bull: Mercedes won't convince us to halt development

©RedBull

Red Bull motorsport boss Helmut Marko says the championship leader isn't yet ready to let up on the development of its 2021 car, even as arch-rival Mercedes channels all its resources towards its 2022 contender.

Red Bull Racing's outstanding run of five consecutive wins - four of which were delivered by Max Verstappen - has provided the Milton Keynes-based outfit with a 44-point lead over Mercedes in the Constructors' standings, while Verstappen now has a 32-point cushion over Lewis Hamilton in the Drivers' championship.

"Three races, 76 points. That’s what I call a haul", Marko told Auto Motor und Sport, commenting on Red Bull's dominance of F1's recent triple-header.

"We have the fastest driver, the best car and the best engine."

Marko admitted that racing at the front has made life easier for both Red Bull and its star driver. And the Austrian even revealed that while Mercedes had turned up its engines in a bid to catch Verstappen in last Sunday's race, Honda had turned down its power unit.

©RedBull

"If you can drive up front, everything is easier," said Marko. "We saw that last week. And today it was even easier.

"We instructed Max to regulate the engine power and to stay away from the curbs."

In Austria, Mercedes said that it would bring its final major updates to its W12 car at Silverstone next week, but the Brackley squad's focus is now almost entirely centered on its all-important 2022 car.

But in the Red Bull camp, the team's engineers are pressing on with the development of the outfit's RB17 in a bid to protect its edge against Mercedes, even if its to the detriment of next year's car.

"We’re sticking to our schedule, even if Mercedes tries to convince us that we’ll be two seconds behind next year," said Marko.

Read also: Montoya doubts Mercedes 'can turn it around' against Red Bull

Nevertheless, Marko isn't taking Red Bull's current edge over Mercedes for granted as the Austrian knows all too well how F1's winds of change can suddenly turnaround a team's fortunes.

"We can see from McLaren how quickly it can happen," Marko said. "They were a strong opponent today.

"All it takes are different tyre compounds or different conditions and it can turn. But if we beat Mercedes at Silverstone, it will look very good for us."

Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1 drivers

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.