Marko will 'monitor' Lawson during 'five races'.

      "He aimed to demonstrate his capabilities."

      By GMM

      16 March 2025 - 03:57

      It’s just the first of 24 rounds, but George Russell believes the 2025 season is effectively over. "McLaren has such a significant lead over the others that they could cease development and concentrate entirely on 2026," stated the Mercedes driver.

      Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher perceives considerable disappointment within the Mercedes team, suggesting that they are poised to finish the entire 2022-2025 rules era merely lingering at the tail end of the podium. "Toto Wolff stood before the cameras looking confused yet again," he remarked to Bild newspaper at Albert Park. "And with a rookie like Kimi Antonelli, it’s unlikely to get any easier."

      Indeed, several rookies have struggled in their season debuts in Australia, including Liam Lawson, who appears to be performing no better than Sergio Perez in the sister Red Bull. "He aspired to showcase his abilities," stated Red Bull advisor Dr. Helmut Marko after qualifying, "but unfortunately, that didn’t go well. We need to let him cool off and monitor his growth over the first three to five races."

      Given Yuki Tsunoda's strong performance in the junior Racing Bulls car, Marko’s comments carry a weight of concern. McLaren CEO Zak Brown couldn’t help but make a playful dig: "They seem to make some odd driver selections at Red Bull," he noted. "Especially when considering Yuki's performance."

      Haas rookie Oliver Bearman also encountered a messy start to his season. "Multiple accidents over one weekend are simply unacceptable," Marko remarked. However, even the experienced Lewis Hamilton, F1’s most successful driver in history, struggled to make an impact in Melbourne. "If Ferrari’s aim is competitiveness, I would have saved a lot on salary and opted for someone else," Alpine advisor Flavio Briatore told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

      Hamilton, on the other hand, was reflective. "I came into FP1 here and realized, 'Okay, I still have a long way to go.'" Charles Leclerc also expressed disappointment regarding Ferrari’s lackluster pace. "I never imagined it would be this bad, even in the worst-case scenario," he remarked after qualifying P7.

      Regarding Red Bull, Marko expressed relief that what seemed to be a significant gap to McLaren at the weekend's outset diminished as the event unfolded. "I already won 500 euros from Jos (Verstappen), who believed we would concede five tenths to McLaren," he shared with De Telegraaf. "Compared to the testing days in Bahrain, we've made considerable progress." However, Max Verstappen maintained after qualifying: "We are definitely not on par with McLaren. No one can dispute that."