McLaren's misstep provides 'hope' for Red Bull - Marko

      "They were unable to overtake, and as a result, they couldn't assert their dominance."

      Dr. Helmut Marko is departing Canada feeling "very satisfied."

      Despite initially having a pessimistic outlook for the Montreal race, the reality unfolded differently as their dominant competitor McLaren had a subpar weekend, while Mercedes’ George Russell surged to the front.

      Though thrilled with his victory from pole position, Russell acknowledged he doesn't feel like a contender for the drivers' championship unless McLaren continues to make mistakes.

      In fact, while championship contender Oscar Piastri made the most of the situation by finishing P4, his teammate Lando Norris made significant mistakes in both qualifying and the race.

      "I believe both of us have been very consistent and have been maximizing our results from our packages week after week," Russell remarked, also mentioning Max Verstappen, who qualified and finished in P2.

      "However, I can't envision McLaren continuing to squander points in the way they are currently."

      The major post-race news, of course, was Norris crashing into the back of the other McLaren. Verstappen agrees with Russell that titles aren't earned based on the mistakes of competitors.

      "We need to start winning races more frequently," the four-time world champion stated after the checkered flag. "And how can we achieve that? By being more competitive."

      Nevertheless, Red Bull advisor Marko allowed himself a moment of optimism.

      "We’re very satisfied," he told Servus TV. "We were on par with Mercedes and McLaren. That gives us a boost for the upcoming races."

      However, team principal Christian Horner conceded that McLaren "should be at the front" in the next race in Austria.

      Marko is allowing himself a slight glimmer of hope.

      "We observed that McLaren was quick, but they failed to overtake, which prevented them from dominating. This is encouraging for the races ahead," the Austrian said.

      "It gives us hope. The Red Bull Ring is another track with a different setup, but we have seen that McLaren can be beaten—if we execute everything correctly."