Red Bull advisor says Ricciardo-Verstappen now F1's best pairing as Mercedes close on deal to sign Bottas to partner Hamilton
Thursday 22 December 2016 08:47, UK
Helmut Marko has stoked Red Bull's rivalry with Mercedes by suggesting the world champions will not take a "risk" with Nico Rosberg's replacement as they expect a stronger challenge for supremacy in 2017.
Marko, Red Bull's motorsport advisor, believes his team's pairing of Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen is the strongest in Formula 1, as the former champions target a title fight with Mercedes next year after the sport's rules overhaul.
After appearing alongside Mercedes non-executive chairman, and fellow Austrian, Niki Lauda on Red Bull's ServusTV station, Marko was quoted as saying by Bild: "Now with Ricciardo and Verstappen we clearly have the strongest driver pairing.
"We will certainly be closer to Mercedes. And Mercedes also knows that, so they do not take any risks with the driver choice."
Having seemingly decided against promoting junior driver Pascal Wehrlein to the coveted race seat next to Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes are closing in on the signing of Valtteri Bottas from Williams, with the path to signing the Finn eased by the Grove team striking an agreement with Felipe Massa for him to postpone his retirement.
Sky Sports understands a deal between Massa and Williams, the Brazilian's team of the last three seasons, has been agreed in principle but not yet formally completed.
'Williams agree Felipe Massa deal'
The arrival of Bottas in place of retired world champion Rosberg would mean Mercedes still field two drivers with proven podium-finishing records, although the Finn has yet to win a race.
Red Bull's drivers are under contract until at least the end of 2018 and Lauda acknowledged that "incredible" Verstappen is only likely to get better.
"My fear is the potential he still has," said Lauda of the 19-year-old. "It can be compared with Senna or Schumacher."
Despite a renewed challenge from Red Bull in 2016, Mercedes still won a record 19 races and finished nearly 300 points clear in the Constructors' Championship.
Speaking after the season finale in Abu Dhabi, Red Bull chief Christian Horner expressed hope that if engine suppliers Renault can make another step forward then his team could make the difference with their chassis.
"[Renault] are working very hard," he said. "If they can make the kind of gain they made over the last winter over this coming winter, then with the stability of the [engine] rules hopefully that convergence will start to happen.
"With the chassis hopefully playing a bigger role in next year's overall package it may balance things up slightly.
"It is all hypothetical because you don't know what everybody else has. So all we do is hope to do the best job we can, and worry about the others when we see them in Melbourne."
