Marko has hope for Red Bull: 'Then the championship chances are positive'
F1 News
Helmut Marko remains hopeful about Red Bull Racing's chances in the Constructors' Championship due to the impending upgrades set to be added to the car for this weekend's United States Grand Prix in Austin. He predicts Max Verstappen will win races again and Sergio Perez will reach the podium.
Red Bull Racing lost its lead in the Constructors' Championship at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend. It was only going to be by a couple of points, but Perez's late crash with Carlos Sainz cost the Austrian team. McLaren then extended its lead to 41 points at the Singapore Grand Prix. There are just six Grand Prix and three sprint races left, but Marko is hopeful Red Bull can make the required improvements.
Marko believes Verstappen can win at least two races if the updates work as hoped. The Dutchman hasn't won a race since the Spanish Grand Prix in June but still holds the record for the most victories in 2024. If Verstappen wins, then Marko is also expecting impressive performances from Perez. "Sergio will then move up a few places. Third and fourth places are then possible. Then our chances in the championship will be positive," Marko told Motorsport-Magazin.
The situation surrounding Perez's performance at Red Bull
Both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have regularly battled for podium positions, but Perez has lagged behind his teammates frequently. Marko is reminded of this situation. "That is unfortunately the case. But I don't know if Piastri is that happy with the role of number two, so he will not fill that role."
Perez still has a contract at Red Bull until 2026, but whether he will stay remains to be seen. Daniel Ricciardo was seen as a potential Perez replacement, but he has been ousted from his seat at Visa Cash App RB in favour of Liam Lawson. Red Bull would like to monitor the New Zealander's performance compared to Yuki Tsunoda.
The external Red Bull advisor commented on Perez's performance. "Checo, and this is well known, struggles when the car undergoes changes. He can't just drive around that like Max. The circuits that suit him better are coming up now. We hope he stabilises," Marko concluded.
This article has been created in collaboration with Cas van de Kleut
Want more Formula 1? Then follow GPblog on our various social media channels!