It is no secret that the Red Bull team has been struggling with the car lately, from 4-time world champion Max Verstappen complaining over the radio to a driver swap after just two races; none of the three drivers have been able to cope with the car this season.
From winning all but one of the races in the 2023 Formula 1 season to being fourth in the constructors’ standings this season, Helmut Marko has admitted that Red Bull can only be competitive ‘every third or fourth race’ with their car in its current state.
Helmut Marko on the Red Bull competitiveness
As part of the German TV show ‘Sport und Talk aus dem Hangar-7’, Helmut Marko admitted the Red Bull car is not as competitive as it has been, and opened up on their struggles so far in 2025. Marko was asked if the Red Bull car is competitive, to which he replied, ‘Not at the moment, one has to admit that openly!’
He went on to further add, ‘Max has to drive absolutely at the limit every lap. You can also see it in how Tsunoda is struggling now – only Max can do it. But our car now has a broader operating window.’ These car issues have further fueled talk about the possibility of Max Verstappen leaving, to which Marko was quick to laugh off, ‘In almost every country, a different exit clause has already been reported (laughs). It’s absurd – Max could make all of this much simpler.’
“That Is All Speculation”: Helmut Marko Denies Max Verstappen’s Exit From Red Bull
Helmut Marko was also open with how much their car can be competitive compared to McLaren this season, ‘For us, that’s only every third or fourth race, for McLaren it’s every time. The gap is big, but with Sebastian we once had – I think – a 47-point deficit and made it back. But if nothing happens soon, it’ll be difficult.’
Red Bull currently sit fourth in the constructors’ championship, 218 points behind leader McLaren, with Verstappen picking up 137 of those points, leaving him third, 49 points behind championship leader Piastri, with a turnaround looking increasingly difficult now.
Can Red Bull and Verstappen pull it back?
Formula 1 has a rich history of championship battles going down to the wire, but often, some of these battles seemed unlikely at certain stages of the season. Most notably in 2007, which saw Kimi Raikkonen claim his first world championship. With just five rounds remaining, Lewis Hamilton led the championship with 84 points, five clear of Alonso, 15 points ahead of Felipe Massa, Raikkonen sat fourth on 68 points. Raikkonen then won in Belgium and China before winning in Brazil to claim the championship by a single point.
In 2012, Alonso led the championship by 24 points ahead of Vettel. Vettel went on to win four consecutive races of the remaining eight, giving him a 13-point championship lead heading into the final race at Brazil. Vettel crossed the line in sixth that day, to win the championship by just three points.
Fernando Alonso on his title chances despite having a slower car:
“I’ve been through it before, In 2010 I was still able to become champion in the final race, despite my Ferrari being inferior to the Red Bull then. And in 2012 it happened again. On pure speed we’re still not the…
— Fastest Pitstop (@FastestPitStop) May 28, 2023
Time is not up for Red Bull or Verstappen with 15 races still to go in 2025. With plenty more upgrades still to come, which could be seen as soon as the British Grand Prix, is there time for Red Bull to turn their season around and mount a challenge for the title, or are we looking at a McLaren inter-team championship fight?
