Red Bull is 'laughing once more' following Horner's dismissal - Marko

      Just a few days after Red Bull accepted that they would likely always be overshadowed by McLaren in 2025, Max Verstappen dispelled the skeptics with a commanding 20-second victory at Monza.

      "It was 19, wasn’t it?" runner-up Lando Norris chuckled. "I just want to avoid any misinformation."

      Nonetheless, the extent of Verstappen's superiority astonished the paddock. "Today, one driver made everyone look foolish," admitted Mercedes chief Toto Wolff.

      However, Norris was not in a celebratory mood regarding Verstappen's performance from pole, labeling him an "idiot" for his aggressive first-corner maneuver.

      The tension in the post-race cool-down room was palpable, and when asked later if Max had raced fairly, the Brit shrugged: "It’s not my decision in the end. I have nothing to add. It was good."

      Verstappen, on the other hand, chose not to engage. "Not at all," he responded to Viaplay. "There’s no reason to address it. None of that is relevant anymore."

      Instead, attention turned to Red Bull’s impressive turnaround under the new leadership. "At one point, it seemed McLaren would have a significant edge at every circuit. It’s wonderful to secure this win now," stated new team principal Laurent Mekies.

      Dr. Helmut Marko praised the shift, specifically crediting Mekies in this new post-Christian Horner chapter.

      "He directed the team correctly," the 82-year-old told reporters. "The engineers pushed the car to its limits. They performed excellently. The atmosphere at Red Bull has returned. We’re very pleased."

      Marko even mentioned that McLaren boss Andrea Stella personally congratulated him. "And rightly so," he smiled. "We’re competitors, but not adversaries.

      "This kind of environment between the teams is appropriate now."

      The Austrian emphasized that the culture change under Mekies has been vital. "Two races ago in Hungary, we looked quite poor. Now we’ve shown total dominance. Last year, Monza was one of our worst weekends. Now, we’re feeling very optimistic.

      "Laurent has introduced a new approach to how we engage in racing. That’s evidently paying dividends."

      The "rebirth" is not merely philosophical, Marko told De Telegraaf.

      "We’re utilizing our full potential now," he stated. "In the past, we never operated at full engine power on Fridays. Now, we are much closer to the limit. That’s thanks to Laurent, and also a new floor on Max's car that performed well.

      "We also pay closer attention to our driver. Max has over 200 races worth of experience, and we depend on that as much as we do on data."

      Verstappen concurred. "With Laurent's engineering background, he’s asking the right questions. I definitely felt a step forward in Zandvoort, and another that felt better here."

      When Bild pointedly asked if the improvement was linked to Horner’s exit, Marko was straightforward: "Absolutely. We’re laughing again! The old Red Bull spirit is back."

      While the championship remains out of reach—Verstappen is 94 points behind Oscar Piastri—the atmosphere has shifted. "I believe we can win a few more races," Marko declared. "We’ve set the championship aside, but the Red Bull feeling and spirit have returned. We’re back on the right path."