Helmut Marko issues stark verdict on Max Verstappen’s Sprint chances amid downforce admission

Red Bull’s Helmut Marko has ruled out any chance of a Max Verstappen victory in the Brazil Sprint, unless it happens to rain.

Verstappen starts sixth on the grid for Saturday’s Sprint race at Interlagos, meaning his chances of scoring a 14th victory in the shorter races are considerably reduced.

Helmut Marko: We don’t have enough downforce

Verstappen has won two of the four Sprint races in F1 2025, the two most recent of such events, in Belgium and the United States.

With 13 wins from 22 Sprints, Verstappen has by far and away the best strike record at the shorter F1 races ever since the format was first tried out in 2021.

But the chances of a 14th victory, and further reducing his 36-point deficit in the Drivers’ Championship, appear very slim this weekend as the Dutch driver could only manage sixth on the grid at Interlagos.

Encountering a car he labelled “undriveable” at the end of SQ2, the four-time F1 World Champion compared his car to a “pogo stick” as he complained over team radio back to Red Bull.

His best time was almost four-tenths slower than championship leader and Sprint polesitter Lando Norris in his McLaren, while fellow championship contender Oscar Piastri took third place to add to Verstappen’s woes.

Red Bull team advisor Helmut Marko has said it appears a decision to run with lower downforce may have backfired.

“If you look at Sector One and Three, we are hundredths away from [Lando] Norris and in the middle sector with the most corners, it’s basically no grip, which means we don’t have enough downforce,” he told Sky F1 after the session.

“That’s something which we can’t cure for the Sprint race, but, hopefully, with all the data we get, we can adapt and make it for the main race so that we are more competitive.”

With the cars in parc fermé conditions, meaning no further setup changes are possible until the cars are released after the Sprint in order to prepare for the normal qualifying session, Marko said that, on pace alone, Verstappen cannot win the Sprint.

“We hope for Max, he has to make the difference,” he said of the potential inclement weather threat, with stormy conditions forecast to hit Sao Paulo on Saturday.

“I mean that it must rain; otherwise, no chance.”

Verstappen, who still harbours hope of securing a fifth consecutive title after a spell of resurgence and strong results, couldn’t hide his disappointment as he spoke to the media immediately after the session.

“[There was] a lot of vibration in the car. A lot of just ride problems. So not what we want,” he summed up his session.

“But, I mean, besides that, I think we just don’t have the grip, also.”

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Having set the fastest first sector on his single attempt, the rest of his lap proved less competitive, with the four-time F1 World Champion revealing he had no faith in the overall balance of the Red Bull car.

“The middle sector is terrible, so I just can’t get the car to turn,” he said.

Verstappen’s difficult start to the weekend comes a year on from one of the most dramatic and hard-fought victories of his career, with his win at Interlagos from 17th on the grid proving a major turning point in staving off the momentum of Norris.

Speaking on Thursday, the Dutch driver agreed with the suggestion that it had been one of the most impressive races of his decade in F1.

“For sure, it was one of my best races because it was under a lot of pressure, having to perform, basically,” he said.

“So yeah, for sure, I’d rate it as a really good race, and one of my best races. It is always impossible to say which one is the best, because it depends on a lot of factors.

“Honestly, it’s not about how I can do better than that because, at the end of the day, as long as you win, that’s the most important.

“It doesn’t matter if you come from the back or from the front, or it’s a boring race. At the end of the day, I’m here just to try and score the most available points every single weekend.”

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