Marko forecasts an increase in Verstappen rumors.

      "The summer break is still quite far away."

      Dr. Helmut Marko believes that discussions surrounding Max Verstappen’s future will escalate as the 2025 season progresses. Amid the dramatic headlines about the Liam Lawson-Yuki Tsunoda driver switch, Verstappen visited Milton-Keynes last week for a crucial engineering meeting to address the challenging handling and slow pace of the 2025 Red Bull car.

      "We were able to present Max with the overall development direction of the car and the specific improvements being made," Marko shared with Speed Week. He also stated to formel1.de: "The vehicle must be enhanced for Max to secure a fifth world title. That’s our primary objective, and the entire team is dedicated to making it happen."

      For Red Bull, it’s not only the world championship that is at stake, but there are clear indications that the Dutch driver is becoming increasingly dissatisfied with the team and is considering a potential move to Mercedes or Aston Martin for 2026.

      "All top drivers have clauses in their contracts that allow for termination in case of poor performance," Marko acknowledged. "However, these clauses vary in their wording, and currently, this issue is not under discussion."

      Still, he concedes that if Red Bull fails to make swift improvements, the next phase concerning the timing of clauses could make the lead-up to the summer break quite intriguing.

      "Yes, that’s the timeframe," said Marko, 81. "But consider this—we are currently second in the standings, only 8 points behind the leader. And the summer break is still quite distant."

      However, should Verstappen ultimately decide to leave, it might also signal the conclusion of Marko’s own time at Red Bull. "Yes, that could be a valid reason for me to depart," admitted the Austrian.