Mercedes is in deep trouble if Red Bull‘s unofficial complaint gets accepted. The Silver Arrows’ latest upgrade, a new front wing, installed onto George Russell’s W15 in Monaco and Lewis Hamilton’s W15 in Canada, propelled them to the top spot on the grid. However, Christian Horner & Co questioned the legality of its ‘bendy’ nature. With the Spanish GP weekend about to begin, Helmut Marko has doubled down on this case.

After two troublesome years in F1, Mercedes has finally bounced back. Their Technical Director James Allison, said the new front wing “made the car the driver’s friend rather than the thing they had been fighting”. Though Red Bull hasn’t lodged an official complaint with the FIA, judging by Helmut Marko’s words, a mini off-track battle seems to be emerging.

When questioned if the Milton Keynes outfit asked the FIA to take a closer look at Mercedes’ front wing, Marko told Oe24, “You can’t say that. They have a new front wing, and on the TV pictures from Montreal, you can clearly see that Russell and Hamilton’s wings are bending noticeably,” he emphasized. “However, the wings had the necessary strength when they were approved. That doesn’t surprise me. I don’t know how often we had to check our wings.”

The 81-year-old then explained the pre-race test that all teams’ cars have to pass. “There is a precisely defined procedure with weights under which a wing must not bend,” he said. “It is a popular game of pushing everything to the limit so that it passes the technical inspection. During the race, the wing then lowers, which ensures better aerodynamics.”

Mercedes isn’t the lone warrior in the firing line as Red Bull has reportedly accused Ferrari and McLaren of the same. To defend their actions, Marko has attempted to prevent Red Bull from being singled out as the only team launching complaints.

Helmut Marko: Other teams are also “critically” viewing Mercedes’s upgrade

Mercedes has finally figured out their aerodynamics in the third year of the ground-effect era. As a result, the age-old Toto Wolff v/s Christian Horner tiff, that ended with Mercedes’ dominance in 2021, looks set to return. However, a one v/s many battle could ensue, as team advisor Helmut Marko claims even their rivals are observing the radical flexi-front wing upgrades on Ferrari, McLaren, and Mercedes.

The Austrian affirmed that in Mercedes’ case, “everything was fine in Montreal”. But the whole testing rigamarole will repeat in Spain. “For Barcelona and Spielberg, etc. there is a new acceptance, it has to fit again,” he added. “Of course, this is viewed critically by the competition, not only by us,” he concluded, highlighting the seriousness of the matter.

Red Bull is expected to dominate again, starting with the European triple header. However, Sergio Perez’s downward spiral is of massive concern if their pursuit of the constructors championship is to continue. Could this, along with older insecurities, be the decisive factors that led to their complaint? The Spanish GP is their first challenge and Perez’s chance to restoring performance-related peace within the team. Can they seal a comprehensive victory with Verstappen completing his hattrick on Spanish soil or will home heroes Carlos Sainz and Fernando Alonso have something to show?