Red Bull F1 chief confirms major Max Verstappen boost

Red Bull F1 chief Helmut Marko has revealed Max Verstappen could be set to receive a boost to his diminishing championship chances at next weekend's Belgian Grand Prix.

The Milton-Keynes based outfit have already made a major change heading into Spa next weekend, after they sacked team principal Christian Horner and replaced him with Racing Bulls boss Laurent Mekies with immediate effect.

The shock change in leadership was announced following the British GP and comes after a disappointing 2025 season for Verstappen so far.

As rumours of a potential move to Mercedes continue to spread, F1 advisor Helmut Marko has confirmed Red Bull will introduce title-defining upgrades for the Dutchman at the 13th round of the championship.

The 81-year-old revealed the F1 team will bring upgrades for the RB21 to the upcoming grands prix in Belgium and Hungary, but remained wary of the sprint format at Spa.

"There are still 332 points up for grabs, which is a substantial package. We hope the updates we make in Spa and Budapest will be effective," Marko told Austrian publication oe24.

"On the one hand, there are more points to be gained, but on the other hand, two free practice sessions are cancelled. So we can't afford a disastrous Friday, after which we still have to try to get the car into the right tire temperature window. Everything has to be right from the start."

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Red Bull bring Verstappen upgrades in last ditch title attempt

Red Bull will hope their Spa upgrades maintain Verstappen's faith in the team, not only as an official decision awaits over his future but also as his chances of retaining the drivers' title begin to fade away.

After 12 rounds of the 2025 campaign, the 27-year-old sits third in the championship, flailing behind both McLaren drivers, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.

When further asked by the Austrian outlet if Verstappen should forget about the title if the new package does not work, Marko responded: "You have to assume that."

Red Bull are not the only team planning to bring upgrades to Spa, with Ferrari crafting a new rear suspension which was tested at Mugello earlier this week.

The upgrade was supposed to lift Ferrari up the competitive order for the second-half of the season, but following the test Charles Leclerc struggled to find a difference in performance.

With only one practice session to get to grips with their new upgrades at Spa, both Ferrari and Red Bull have a huge challenge ahead of them for the sprint weekend at the Belgian GP.

READ MORE: F1 pundit warns Mercedes 'embarrassing' driver over Max Verstappen pursuit

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