Marko: Fifth Verstappen title is becoming 'unrealistic'

      "We lost four tenths to the McLarens."

      Max Verstappen's aspirations for a fifth consecutive world championship are becoming "unrealistic." This candid acknowledgment comes from Red Bull advisor Dr. Helmut Marko, who mentioned that the slight progress from the car updates at Imola was still "disappointing." Following Friday practice, Verstappen remarked, "The McLaren overtook me and drove away. That speaks for itself." Marko noted that the Imola upgrade has at least resolved the car’s understeer issues. "However, new problems have emerged," the Austrian stated. "We face a fundamental issue. We lost four tenths to the McLarens. On this circuit, that’s significant. Additionally, in the race, the McLarens still appear to be in a league of their own. The World Championship is becoming increasingly unrealistic."

      This is troubling news for Red Bull, particularly with Verstappen's performance exit clauses approaching for the summer break. His father and co-manager Jos is not pleased. "At the beginning of the season, they loudly claimed something would change at Imola," he told Racexpress. "It's absolutely crucial that progress starts to be made now, as otherwise, the gap will simply widen. If that happens, it won’t be achievable this year."

      As teams begin to realize that they cannot catch McLaren, their complete focus will shift towards the radical new regulations set for 2026. Ferrari's boss, Frederic Vasseur, insists that this moment has not yet arrived for the Italian team. "It's very important to remain competitive this season," he asserted, "because it's during competitive times that we focus on the details. Some may think my view is misguided, but I cannot imagine how a group of 1000 people can keep the same motivation if they’ve essentially given up on a season," Vasseur added.

      Amid the upgrades across the pit lane, Aston Martin may have made the most significant advancements - with lead driver Fernando Alonso yet to score a single point in 2025. "Aston Martin has a massive upgrade here," stated Williams boss James Vowles in an interview with El Mundo Deportivo. "I think it’s almost a new car."