Verstappen, Mekies and Marko discussing in Red Bull garage — Photo: © IMAGO

Max Verstappen

Red Bull chief announces secret weapon for Max Verstappen title push

Verstappen has roared back into title contention

Chris Deeley

Wednesday 22 October 2025 10:54

Red Bull's F1 rivals have been put on notice by team advisor Helmut Marko, as Max Verstappen continues to roar back into contention for the world championship.

Sunday's win in Austin means that McLaren's title-chasing duo of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris haven't finished ahead of him a single time since the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, and their once-healthy points gap is being slashed.

Piastri led the reigning champion by 104 points after that race in the Netherlands, but Verstappen has knocked that down by 64 points in just four races to sit 40 points back with five races to go, with the momentum very much in his favour.

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Many teams are entirely focused on their 2026 cars at this point in the year, but Marko has now revealed that Red Bull still have a secret weapon brewing at their factory.

'Absolute Verstappen time'

Speaking to Austrian broadcaster ORF, Marko hyped up his star driver's resurgence, saying: "There's no track where we haven't been competitive. And when we have, it's Max who makes the difference."

The Mexican Grand Prix is next on the schedule this weekend and, with Verstappen taking five of the last seven race wins at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, the Dutchman is the bookies' favourite to stand on the top step of the podium once again.

The broadcaster then noted that rain could be forecast for the weekend (note: no, it isn't). In Marko's words: "That means absolute Verstappen time!"

In news which could send non-weather related shivers down the spines of Piastri and Norris, the Austrian teased: "We still have something up our sleeve. I don't know exactly when it will arrive."

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