Enhance a 'significant aspect' in Red Bull's 'breakthrough'

      A "breakthrough" at Red Bull might have come just in time to assist Max Verstappen in his pursuit of a fifth consecutive world championship. The Dutch driver and the team arrived in Imola feeling disheartened by McLaren's "depressing" dominance shown in Miami. Team advisor Dr. Helmut Marko and Verstappen’s father, Jos, acknowledged that the upgrades introduced for Imola were likely their last opportunity to revitalize the campaign. "We brought several new components here," a pleased Marko stated after Verstappen won from pole position on Sunday, reducing his championship gap to just 22 points. "I believe we performed even better than McLaren," the Austrian continued. "We were simply faster. This is the first time in a year that the upgrades have positively influenced the car. I’m satisfied, and we will head to Monaco next week with a lot of confidence." Importantly, while Imola aligns well with the 2025 car's characteristics—unlike Monaco, which is anticipated not to—Red Bull seems to have significantly narrowed McLaren's noted advantage with tire degradation. "We were at least on par with them in terms of tire wear," Marko remarked. "For the first time in a long while, the car's balance was good enough to allow Max to drive as he wants. Thank goodness we achieved such a result." Earlier, team members expressed frustration over a clear disconnect between wind tunnel data and track performance. "We’re starting to understand that better now," team principal Christian Horner mentioned. "We brought so many new parts to this race, which proved to be a crucial factor." Technical director Pierre Wache, who has faced scrutiny since Adrian Newey's departure, gave a rare interview following Sunday’s race. Notably, he acknowledged that Imola represented a "breakthrough" for Red Bull during its 400th grand prix. "I believe that’s the case," the Frenchman stated. "The upgrades have clearly worked to our advantage, particularly in tire management. We made our first stride in Miami, and now we've taken a second step. We have significantly improved our setup, and the new package also offers further opportunities for enhancement." While most top teams introduced significant upgrades at Imola, McLaren chief Andrea Stella stated that the Woking-based team must do more to reaffirm its status as having the fastest and best car of 2025. "With Red Bull's updates, we need to remain vigilant," he noted. "Red Bull introduced new elements this race and will continue to bring them to the next one, so we can't afford to wait. However, it will take a few more races to introduce significant new features." Wache concurred: "McLaren still possesses a very competitive car, which they continue to develop. We have to keep pushing hard." As for Verstappen, who previously did not rule out leaving Red Bull for 2026, he expressed relief at feeling "happy" about his car again after some time. Nevertheless, he cautioned in discussion with Viaplay: "I think it’s crucial to stay calm for now and not to get overly excited right away." His main concern had been regarding McLaren’s superior tire management. "My tires were still degrading," the 27-year-old remarked on Sunday, "but it was slightly better than most others around us."