Red Bull continues to hold on to hopes for the 2025 title, according to Marko.
"Everything needs to be perfect for a chance to succeed."
Red Bull remains optimistic that Max Verstappen can maintain his hopes of securing a fifth consecutive drivers’ world championship. The team has already conceded the constructors’ title, recognizing not only McLaren’s dominance but also the absence of a strong teammate to support the four-time world champion. Verstappen himself, however, claims he does not view himself as a true contender in the drivers’ standings, calling it a "miracle" that he sits third behind the two McLarens. Dr. Helmut Marko, Red Bull's F1 advisor, openly admits that the major issue lies in the handling and challenging setup of the 2025 car.
"We observed that McLaren, with Alex Dunne, has a much easier and more efficient car to drive," the 82-year-old remarked at the Red Bull Ring. "To put it differently, everything must be completely perfect for us to have a shot."
Both Red Bull and Ferrari, however, suspect that the McLarens were running low on fuel on Friday, making their advantage in Austria appear larger than it actually is. Marko is also hopeful that Lando Norris may outperform championship leader Oscar Piastri. "It's clear that Norris is the quicker driver," the Austrian mentioned after Friday practice.
In terms of Red Bull, the 2025 car has a new floor edge ready for this weekend, along with another minor upgrade planned for Silverstone next weekend. Marko stated, "The upgrade is more or less what we anticipated. It’s not a significant leap, but we are moving in the right direction, which gives us hope."
One potential challenge could be Verstappen’s absence of his longtime race engineer, Gianpiero "GP" Lambiase, who is in Britain for undisclosed personal reasons. Stepping in is Simon Rennie, another familiar face in the paddock who recently chose a factory-based role for family reasons. "I think they got off to a strong start," Christian Horner told Viaplay when asked about the temporary pairing of Verstappen and Rennie. "We know Simon has vast experience. When you have someone like him available, it’s a smooth and logical choice."
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