Marko casts blunt Red Bull RB21 verdict after fresh McLaren triumph

Red Bull senior advisor Helmut Marko admitted McLaren “is superior” on the grid this season, and it would be “very difficult to come close” to them.

Max Verstappen took pole position for the British Grand Prix, but was overtaken by Oscar Piastri in the early stages of the race. He recovered from a mid-race spin to earn fifth place, but it was another McLaren one-two finish at the weekend.

Marko: McLaren ‘superior’ to Red Bull, ‘difficult to even come close’

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner acknowledged after the race that the low-downforce setup that helped Verstappen in his quest to take pole position did not work as well in race conditions, with the wet weather leading to a less stable car for the reigning World Champion.

Having spun out of Stowe at a Safety Car restart, Verstappen dropped to P10 on the road and reported over team radio that he was unable to catch the cars in front.

He recovered to P5 come the chequered flag, but Marko admitted the Red Bull package was no match for McLaren.

“We were prepared for a dry race,” Marko told Servus TV.

“According to the weather forecast, that would be a possibility. But we saw that in wet conditions we couldn’t keep up at all, and even at the end of the race, we were trailing by 30 seconds.

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“So, all in all, this set-up was not ideal for the race.”

Marko confirmed that updates are due to come for Red Bull as the 2025 season progresses, but it may be too little too late to catch up with McLaren before the year ends.

“There are still some things coming, but it’s all not enough to even come close to McLaren,” Marko said.

“The fastest time in qualifying was a combination of Verstappen and a risky set-up. But as we have seen, that went wrong in the race.

“I think you just have to recognise that McLaren is superior and this season it is very difficult to even come close.”

Red Bull sit fourth in the Constructors’ standings at the halfway stage of the season, 288 points behind championship leaders McLaren.

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