Teams should survive corona crisis

Dr Helmut Marko

(GMM) Dr Helmut Marko thinks all of the current Formula 1 teams will survive the 'corona crisis'.

It has been an unprecedentedly tumultuous period for the sport and many others, as the world ground to a halt for a global pandemic.

McLaren has survived thanks only to a $185 bank loan, Haas' future is uncertain, Williams is for sale and even champions Mercedes' strategy may be changing.

But Marko, a top official at Red Bull, doubts that teams will "completely disappear". "There will be compromises," he told APA news agency.

"I see the only acute danger at Williams, but with a sale of shares that should also be resolvable," Marko said, adding that Red Bull will not be the buyer.

As for Renault, the French works team's carmaker parent recently gave a green light to the continuation of the F1 project, and team boss Cyril Abiteboul has now told L'Equipe: "Our team is not for sale."

However, the teams are heading to Austria this week amid great uncertainty about how many races there will be in 2020, and therefore how much revenue will be coming their way.

Marko said he thinks Mugello and Portimao are about to be added to the 'corona calendar', and he also mentioned the former Turkish GP venue in Istanbul.

"Hockenheim is on reserve," he told Servus TV, ruling out a third race at the Red Bull Ring later in the year.

As for Red Bull, some believe the energy drink's strategy of having two teams on the grid could be a major boon once the budget cap comes into effect next year.

The idea is that while each team is limited to $145 million from 2021, Red Bull can effectively spend double that amount by simply making Alpha Tauri a fully synergistic satellite outfit.

Moreover, excess staff at Red Bull Racing can be transferred to Alpha Tauri's Faenza headquarters.

"In theory that's a good plan, but unfortunately it's not feasible in practice," Marko insisted.

"Despite all the synergy, Alpha Tauri will always be behind because Red Bull Racing is able to implement development steps much faster. That alone leaves Alpha Tauri behind.

"There are certain advantages to having two teams, but they are nowhere near big enough for Alpha Tauri to become a winning team. In the medium term we will only have one wind tunnel, but of course Red Bull will have priority," he added.

As for Red Bull team members potentially transferring to Italy, Marko smiled: "An Englishman does not leave his island so easily."