Red Bull F1 boss Helmut Marko declares when Red Bull will be back to their best

Dr. Helmut Marko in Mexico — Photo: © IMAGO

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Helmut Marko declares when Red Bull will be back to their best

McLaren look certain to retain their constructors' crown having made a blistering start to the season

Kevin McKenna

Wednesday 23 April 2025 21:55

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Red Bull Formula 1 director Helmut Marko has issued a prediction regarding his team's chances of closing the gap to McLaren over the coming races.

The Austrian's comments come following last weekend's Saudi Arabia Grand Prix, where McLaren cemented their position at the top of the constructors' standings courtesy of an Oscar Piastri victory and an unexpected fourth-place finish for Lando Norris.

Red Bull's star man, Max Verstappen, meanwhile, took the chequered flag in second spot having been hit with a costly five-second penalty in the early stages.

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Yet that result was a marked improvement from Bahrain in the previous race, where the Dutchman ended the day in sixth, and Marko believes further upgrades over the next month will see the team ready to offer a more formidable challenge to McLaren.

"Compared to Bahrain, we made a big progress," the Austrian told Motorsport.com. "But also this circuit suits us better – faster corners and so on.

"We are moving forward and getting a car which is more predictable and is also working in a wider range.

"We will have small steps, and I think by Imola we should be in a position that we also have the speed to beat the McLarens."

Can Red Bull bridge McLaren gap?

Verstappen has celebrated just one victory in 2025, with that coming at the Japanese GP in round three, and faces a real fight to retain his drivers' title with Norris and leader Piastri ahead in the championship.

But while Verstappen still remains in the mix, things appear far more bleak for his team, who already find themselves 99 points adrift of McLaren.

Their cause hasn't been helped by the drama surrounding their second driver, having taken the decision to replace Liam Lawson with Yuki Tsunoda after two grands prix.

The Japanese racer has scored just two points in three outings, and had to watch the majority of the action in Saudi Arabia from the garage after retiring following an early collision with Alpine's Pierre Gasly.

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Red Bull Max Verstappen McLaren Lando Norris Oscar Piastri Helmut Marko