Marko makes SHOCK prediction for Red Bull’s biggest rivals in Canada

Helmut Marko believes Ferrari pose the biggest threat to Red Bull’s perfect start to the 2023 season at the Canadian Grand Prix.

The Scuderia’s one-lap pace has seen Charles Leclerc consistently battle both Bulls in qualifying, but it’s the Monegasque’s long-run performance that is causing Marko the most concern.

It’s all to play for in Montreal

Reigning world champion Max Verstappen and team-mate Sergio Perez have between them all seven races so far and will be looking to make it eight from eight at the Canadian Grand Prix, but Marko sees Ferrari and Mercedes as potential challengers to Red Bull.

"Mercedes has become a lot faster, but I'm afraid Ferrari is even stronger here, you could see that," Marko told Servus TV.

The prancing horse are always quick around Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, and Lewis Hamilton and George Russells’ 1-2 in FP2 hints at a potential return to the front.

Practice for the Canadian Grand Prix was chaotic to say the least. Pierre Gasly’s Alpine broke down as soon as it left the pits in FP1, which was then abandoned because of technical issues with the circuit’s CCTV, before the extended FP2 saw Haas’ woes continue and rain fell in spades.

There was, however, enough running for Ferrari to catch Marko’s eye. The Austrian said: "They drove about the same times as us and Leclerc's long runs certainly looked very impressive."

Red Bull nerves ahead of 100th win?

Team principal Christian Horner has been typically bullish when asked whether rival teams will eventually catch up to the team based in Milton Keynes, but Marko also has a clear message to his own team after a sub-par Friday.

“We are all working towards our 100th win and apparently that adds to the pressure. We were quite surprised that we were wrong, especially in terms of the handling of the car.”

Other teams’ growing belief

Lewis Hamilton has called on Mercedes to pull their finger out and improve, saying he is “in Canada to win”.

Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso has stood on the podium five times so far this year, and is also eager for his team to step things up and chase down Red Bull as their major upgrades packages come into play.

More rain is scheduled to fall throughout the weekend, and could cause havoc during Sunday's race.

READ MORE: F1 Canadian Grand Prix weather forecast

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