Helmut Marko has labeled Red Bull's RB18 a "prima donna" relative to Ferrari's F1-75, but also a car with a lot of potential.
Red Bull and Ferrari traded wins in the first two rounds of the 2022 season, but the Scuderia comfortably leads the Constructors' standings with a 40-point advantage over its rival, courtesy in large part of Red Bull's double DNF in Bahrain.
Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc revelled in their battles at Sakhir and at Jeddah, with both drivers skillfully capitalizing on their mount's specific characteristics while also cleverly exploiting the benefits of DRS.
Marko explained the performance difference between the two teams' 2022 design.
"The advantage of Ferrari is they are fast straight away with every tyre and at every temperature," the Red Bull motorsport boss told Servus TV. "That shows the car is more good-natured.
"We have perhaps the more difficult car – a prima donna. But if you can get it right, the potential is there."
Red Bull's RB18 has also proven to be the superior machine in terms of straight-lien speed, a quality it owes not only to its aerodynamics but also to its Honda engine.
And yet Marko reckons that Ferrari's power unit currently holds an edge over its rivals, thanks in large part to its hybrid components.
"Ferrari are ahead. Honda – or rather Red Bull Powertrains – are second. And Mercedes, unusually, only third,” said Marko.
"Ferrari have an advantage especially in electrical power and that’s where we hope Honda will follow suit.
"Chassis-wise, Mercedes have the most ‘bounce’ [porpoising]. You can see that in the braking zone, how Hamilton’s head wobbles back and forth.
"But I also think it’s a question of time."
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