Dr Helmut Marko says McLaren’s 2018 car is obviously “not great”. The British team went into Bahrain targeting the top three teams, but was ultimately outpaced even by the newly Honda-powered Red Bull junior team Toro Rosso.
“Mr Alonso wanted to attack Red Bull but he was behind the Toro Rosso,” Marko is quoted by Auto Motor und Sport. “The McLaren cannot be that great and it was not just the Honda engine that made them slow — they are still last on the straight with the Renault,” he added.
So Marko, whose Red Bull outfit is considering switching from Renault to Honda for 2019, joins those who think McLaren made a strategic error late last year.