F1 chief Helmut Marko admits Red Bull need HELP from McLaren

Verstappen, Marko, socials — Photo: © IMAGO

Red Bull

Marko admits Red Bull need HELP from McLaren

Red Bull are in a title battle with McLaren

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Friday 31 October 2025 09:56

Red Bull F1 advisor Helmut Marko has said that his team need McLaren to suffer some end of season wobbles for them to have a chance of winning the title.

Four-time champion Max Verstappen is currently 36 points behind championship leader Lando Norris in the drivers' championship, who has team-mate Oscar Piastri just one point behind him.

Overall in 2025, McLaren have had much faster machinery than Red Bull, which was evidenced by the way in which they managed to wrap up the constructors' championship with six race weekends remaining in the season.

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Yet, Verstappen's scintillating form has given him a small chance of claiming a record-equalling fifth consecutive championship title with four race weekends remaining in the season.

However, McLaren looked to be back to their imperious best last time out in Mexico, with Norris able to take the race victory by over 30 seconds.

Now, Marko has admitted that Red Bull need some help from McLaren, even hinting that they are banking on the drivers, particularly Piastri, not being able to handle the pressure of fighting Verstappen for the title.

"Of course, we still need McLaren's help," Marko said, as reported by Kleine Zeitung.

"I think he's [Piastri] apparently not handling the pressure so well after all. At least, that's how it seemed recently, even though I don't know him well enough to know that."

Who will win the 2025 F1 title?

Verstappen has been in this position before, with his 2021 title fight with Lewis Hamilton going right down to the wire. While his 2022 and 2023 titles did not have so much stress or rivalry involved, 2024 saw him face a title challenge of sorts from Norris, who he comfortably saw off comfortably in the end.

The Dutchman has that advantage over his two McLaren counterparts, who have never experienced being successful in an F1 title fight.

Two of the four race weekends remaining are sprint weekends, meaning that there will be 33 points available at those two particular events, an advantage which could swing Verstappen's way based off of his previous impressive form in the sprint event.

What's more, one of those is the Brazilian GP at Interlagos, a race that Verstappen has won three times, including in 2024 when he came from 12th on the grid to win in the wet, and put the final nail in the coffin of Norris' title charge.

It's going to be a nail-biting finish to the 2025 season, and we're either going to have a maiden title winner, or a five-time champion edging closer to multiple all-time records.

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F1 Red Bull Max Verstappen Helmut Marko