Marko thinks that cooling problems have kept Ferrari in Australia



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Ferrari suffered a first half-hearted run of the season when its pre-season tests resulted in fourth and fifth places on the road in Melbourne.

The Italian team claimed to have made "corrections" to what it believed contributed to its poor performance in Australia, and Marko thinks it is engine-driven.

Marko told Motorsport.com: "It's clear that Ferrari underperformed, and also Haas.

"We do not know exactly, but I think they've just reduced their performance because of cooling issues.

"The Haas was suddenly slower in relationship [to the rest of the field compared to its long-run pace in pre-season testing]. "

Sebastian Vettel collapsed dramatically during the Australian GP and Marko believes that his lack of performance on cooler or more flexible tires has also highlighted a problem with the setup.

"An indication is that [Charles] Leclerc was faster with white tires [hards] that Vettel with the yellows [mediums]"said Marko.

"That means something was wrong … Vettel only made three quick laps and his pace dropped.

"Ferrari did not present any danger on the yellow tire because of the temperature and their degradation.

"From our side, we had no degradation problem and we were not even at the limit."

Ferrari has adopted a different avant-garde philosophy than Mercedes and Red Bull this season.

Marko, however, rejected the idea that this could have had an impact on the Ferrari's reaction to Melbourne's bumpy circuit compared to its rivals.

"I think that [theory] is overrated, "said Marko. The front wing more or less determines the concept of the car.

"But there are many other things in the front zone that also play a role.

"There are different concepts, but in terms of race pace only [race winner Valtteri] Bottas was a step above the rest.

"Ferrari and [Red Bull] were at the same level. "

Ferrari was the most consistent challenger of Mercedes in 2017 and 2018 and was subjected to scrutiny last year for its engine performance gains.

Marko said that another factor in Ferrari's performance was the apparent loss of a previous speed advantage in a straight line.

"The FIA ​​reacted very well and closed several loopholes, or at least downplayed them," he said.

"It means that those speed spikes, that Ferrari had on the last 25% or 30% of the straight lines, do not exist anymore – it's good."

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