Red Bull chief Helmut Marko claims that Charles Leclerc's emerging position as Ferrari's undisputed top dog will make life tough for Max Verstappen in this year's race for the

world title. The Austrian believes that a clear pecking order is emerging at the Prancing Horse after just two races this season, meaning they cannot expect point-stealing favours from

Carlos Sainz.  Despite Verstappen's forced retirement in Bahrain, he and Leclerc showed in Saudi Arabia last time out that they are the top two at present. The final 10 laps in Jeddah

hosted a thrilling wheel-to-wheel battle that saw the Red Bull man take the chequered flag first with his Ferrari counterpart less than one second behind.  Fans have therefore been treated

surprise of those at Ferrari. According to Marko's own interpretation, there has already been a major power shift this time around.  JUST IN: LEWIS HAMILTON OFFERED BY SAUDI ARABIAN

GOVERNMENT TO SIT DOWN OVER HUMAN RIGHTS CONCERNS "Last year Sainz beat Leclerc, but this year Leclerc is in top form," he said, per Formel1, "That means we can't expect

any support from Sainz. So it will be a situation like ours, where there is a very clear number one driver. "Ferrari has the most universal car. It's quick the first time under all

circumstances, with every type of tyre and at every temperature." Last time out in Jeddah Hamilton stuttered to a 10th-place finish while George Russell came home in fifth. Persistent

porpoising issues and experimentation with car set-up saw the seven-time world champion fail to make it out of Q1 for the first time since 2017.  Leclerc and Sainz lead the way in the

drivers' standings this year having shown pace and consistency over the first two races. Verstappen's Saudi Arabian victory has thrust him right into the mix after retiring in

Bahrain, while Ferrari have already racked up more than double the points of any other team.