Helmut Marco: The fight for the title is over for us.
Red Bull Motorsports Consultant Helmut Marko summarized the race weekend at Silverstone and stated that Max Verstappen is not competing for the title this season.
Question: After the race finish, you said on live television that even approaching McLaren now is a difficult task... Helmut Marko: Unfortunately, that's true. After Max Verstappen's pole position, everything didn't look so bad. Unfortunately, we relied on the weather forecast and chose dry track settings. In the rain, it was clear we had no chance.
Question: How disappointed were you with Max's spin during the restart? Helmut Marko: Without the spin, Max could have finished third. It's just that we have to admit that McLaren is much better.
Question: What can you say about Nico Hülkenberg's first podium? Helmut Marko: After 239 races, he can only be congratulated on this. Everyone in the paddock is happy for him.
Question: How seriously did Red Bull consider signing a contract with him a few years ago? Helmut Marko: That was before we signed the contract with Sergio Perez. Looking back, you can always say it was a fifty-fifty situation. Sergio was winning at the time, and Hülkenberg was having unsuccessful races. Now he's better. The older he gets, the fewer mistakes he makes. That's why he has a contract with Audi.
Question: At Silverstone, Max caused a sensation by taking the wheel of a Mercedes in virtual races. What do you think about that? Helmut Marko: I wasn't aware of it, but why not? In real life, Max drives an Aston Martin, Ferrari, Audi. So there's nothing wrong with him also driving a Mercedes.
Question: There are rumors that Max's negotiations with Mercedes are ongoing... Helmut Marko: He may be negotiating, but at the moment, nothing has changed.
Question: Is it true that none of the contract clauses allowing early termination are currently applicable? Helmut Marko: Exactly.
Question: Does Max have a chance to win the next race in Spa? Helmut Marko: That's possible if the updates currently in development are ready for Spa. The temperature and turn characteristics should also work in our favor.
Question: Would a potential victory for Verstappen in Spa be a long-awaited turning point? Helmut Marko: Yes, but the fight for the title is still over for us. Only Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are participating now. Norris has impressively re-entered the fight, having led two exciting races.
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Helmut Marco: The fight for the title is over for us.
Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko summed up the race weekend at Silverstone and stated that Max Verstappen is not fighting for the championship this season. Question: After the race finish, you said on live broadcast that even getting close to McLaren is a difficult task... Helmut Marko: Unfortunately, that's true. After Max Verstappen's pole position, everything didn't seem so bad. Unfortunately, we relied on the weather forecast and chose dry track settings. In the rain, it was clear we had no chance. Question: How disappointed were you with Max's spin during the restart? Helmut Marko: Without the spin, Max could have finished third. We just have to admit that McLaren is much better. Question: What can you say about Nico Hülkenberg's first podium? Helmut Marko: After 239 races, he can only be congratulated on this. Everyone in the paddock is happy for him. Question: How seriously was the possibility of signing him considered at Red Bull a few years ago? Helmut Marko: That was before we signed a contract with Sergio Perez. Looking back, it was always 50/50. Sergio was winning then, and Hülkenberg was having bad races. Now he's better. The older he gets, the fewer mistakes he makes. That's why he has a contract with Audi. Question: At Silverstone, Max caused a sensation by taking the wheel of a Mercedes in virtual racing. What do you think about that? Helmut Marko: I wasn't aware, but why not? In real life, Max drives an Aston Martin, Ferrari, Audi. So there's nothing wrong with him also driving a Mercedes. Question: Rumors are circulating that Max's negotiations with Mercedes are ongoing... Helmut Marko: He may be negotiating, but currently, nothing has changed. Question: Is it true that none of the clauses allowing early termination of his contract are currently applicable? Helmut Marko: That's correct. Question: Does Max have a chance to win the next stage at Spa? Helmut Marko: That's possible if the innovations currently in development are ready for Spa. Temperature and corner characteristics should also work in our favor. Question: Would a win by Verstappen at Spa be a long-awaited turning point? Helmut Marko: Yes, but the fight for the title is still over for us. Only Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are participating. Norris has impressively re-entered this fight after two outstanding races.