Red Bull F1 boss GRATEFUL for rivals success

Red Bull Racing's director, Helmut Marko, has expressed unexpected sympathy for rival teams, acknowledging that their recent strategic choices ultimately played into Red Bull's hands.

F1 HEADLINES: Hamilton in emotional outpour as F1 star CRASHES £300k Ferrari

WATCH: Norris warns Piastri over risky overtake

Marko's remarks came after the Italian Grand Prix last weekend, where both McLaren and Ferrari allowed their drivers to race each other freely.

McLaren's Oscar Piastri controversially took the lead off of his own team-mate Lando Norris on the opening lap of the Italian GP with an aggressive move on the pole-sitter which saw the Briton also lose out to Charles Leclerc. This move certainly seemed to benefit Red Bull despite their own underwhelming performance at Monza.

Max Verstappen was only able to improve from seventh on the grid to a sixth-place finish last weekend, crossing the line nearly 38 seconds behind race winner Leclerc.

READ MORE: Red Bull MASS EXODUS predicted amid Verstappen struggles

Speaking to oe24, Marko reflected on the strategies deployed by Red Bull rivals McLaren and Ferrari, saying, "Both were actually to our advantage. Despite our lacklustre performance, Max is still 62 points ahead.

"But that lead could quickly shrink if we continue like this."

READ MORE: Newey's JAW-DROPPING Aston Martin contract details 'revealed'

Red Bull's dominance this season has largely been attributed to the exceptional driving of Max Verstappen, who holds a 62-point lead in the drivers' championship.

Marko did however issue a cautionary note, acknowledging that the lead for both Red Bull and Verstappen is far from secure.

"If we don’t give him a drivable car and keep delivering performances like that, anything is possible," Marko warned.

As the 81-year-old alluded, the willingness of Red Bull's competitors to allow such intra-team competition has seemingly contributed to maintaining Verstappen's cushion at the top of the standings.

Despite his praise for their courage, Marko's underlying message was clear: Red Bull cannot afford to rest on their laurels.

With eight races remaining in the season, the team must recognise that the margin for error is slim, and complacency could see their rivals close the gap.

As the title race heats up, all eyes will be on whether Red Bull can continue to fend off the challenge from McLaren next weekend in Baku.

READ MORE: Ricciardo's Red Bull 'PROMOTION' discussed as F1 future hangs in the balance

Related

More F1 news

Latest F1 news

Kim Kardashian at the Japanese Grand Prix? Lewis Hamilton spotted with star in Tokyo

• 1 hour ago

Lewis Hamilton is now winless for a year but iconic track will bring Ferrari star glory

• Today 17:57

Zak Brown summons F1 team to McLaren HQ as 2026 crisis addressed

• Today 14:56

Max Verstappen 'isn't happy' at Red Bull and George Russell Mercedes seat is 'temporary'

• 1 hour ago

Max Verstappen sent Nurburgring 24 Hours warning as F1 champion named 'weakest link'

• 3 hours ago

NLS 2026 Schedule: When is Max Verstappen's next chance of redemption at the Nurburgring?

• Today 15:58