Red Bull F1 chief reveals HUGE blow despite Max Verstappen championship victory

Christian Horner, Helmut Marko, Max Verstappen, Red Bull, Las Vegas, 2024 — Photo: © IMAGO

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Red Bull chief reveals HUGE blow despite Verstappen's championship victory

Helmut Marko has revealed a huge blow to the team following Max Verstappen's championship victory

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Tuesday 3 December 2024 10:57

Red Bull Formula 1 advisor Helmut Marko has revealed a huge blow to the team despite Max Verstappen’s championship victory at the Las Vegas Grand Prix.

The 2024 world title marks the fourth consecutive drivers’ title for Verstappen and Red Bull, with the champion emerging ahead of his rivals in a difficult year at the team.

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However, a victory in the constructors’ championship has now officially eluded Red Bull this season, with it now impossible for the reigning champions to improve on third place where they currently sit behind Ferrari and McLaren.

The final race in Abu Dhabi will be a shootout between the papaya team and the Scuderia with just 21 points now separating them, whereas Red Bull have now been eliminated from the fight following a DNF for Sergio Perez in Qatar last time out.

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Whilst the performance of Red Bull has declined in 2024, Verstappen has managed to extract the most out of the RB20, whereas his team-mate Perez has suffered a series of woeful results.

Over the past five grand prix weekends, Perez has only earned eight points for the team, which is less than Haas star Nico Hulkenberg who has snatched 13 points.

As a result of this, reports now suggest that the team are set to move on from Perez after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix this weekend.

Not only have Red Bull now failed to continue their run of securing the double in the championships, but their third-place finish in the constructors’ will also hand them a major blow according to Marko.

Helmut Marko has revealed a Red Bull blow

Speaking after the Las Vegas GP, the 81-year-old team advisor revealed that Red Bull’s position in the championship will impact their employees’ bonuses despite winning the drivers’ championship with Verstappen.

"We have to have two drivers who finish in the points. I think Max is more than 200 points ahead of Sergio,” Marko said to DAZN.

"The main thing for Max was to win the championship now, but for our employees, it is a disappointment because their bonus depends on our position in the constructors' championship and there is no realistic chance of winning it.”

After the Qatar Grand Prix, Perez currently stands 277 points behind Verstappen.

Written by

Sheona Mountford - F1 Journalist

Sheona Mountford is a motorsport journalist specialising in F1. As a writer and contributor, she covers a wide range of motorsport series from F1 to F1 Academy, responsible for breaking news, live race coverage and in depth analysis of the sport and the culture around it.

View full biography

Red Bull Max Verstappen Ferrari McLaren Helmut Marko Las Vegas Grand Prix