Striking distance? Marko’s blunt response to Max Verstappen title challenge

Arguably one of the more bullish people in the paddock when it comes to Red Bulls’ fortunes, Helmut Marko has delivered a note of caution over Max Verstappen’s “bit exaggerated” chances of retaining the World title.

Although Verstappen won four titles on the trot from 2021 to 2024, including a run of three under F1’s ground-effect aerodynamic regulations, the Dutchman looked set to lose the title to McLaren this season when he won just two races before the summer break.

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Second to Oscar Piastri at the Dutch Grand Prix, Verstappen trailed the championship leader by 104 points and was 70 behind second-placed Lando Norris.

He all but wrote off his chances of retaining the title for a fifth successive season.

But four races later, he could be the favourite.

Although Verstappen is still third in the Drivers’ standings, he’s taken 66 points out of Piastri’s lead in four race weeks and has also closed in on Norris, his deficit to the Briton down to 26 points.

What looked to an almost certain McLaren 1-2 in the Drivers’ standings is now under threat from Verstappen.

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The reigning World Champion scored the maximum 33 at the United States Grand Prix as he raced from pole to flag in the Sprint before following that up with another lights to flag win in the grand prix. He took the chequered flag eight seconds ahead of Norris, who was in a race with Charles Leclerc to decide the podium positions.

Such have been Verstappen’s gains, even the 28-year-old is starting to believe there may be a “chance” while his Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies says F1 fans are “watching history in the making”.

Surprisingly, Marko is the more cautious in the camp.

“The race was incredibly exciting,” he told Sky Deutschland, “at least for us.

“We always controlled the distance from Leclerc and Lando. Leclerc has made life a little easier for us. We had the speed that we could have held the position against Lando as well.”

“[But] Striking distance is a bit exaggerated with a 40-point deficit,” continued the motorsport advisor. “Five races, two of them Sprints – if we can keep up this form, it can still be really exciting.”

He does, however, believe Red Bull’s one bogey track – the Marina Bay circuit in Singapore – has come and gone, leaving Red Bull with five venues in which the RB21 could excel. Especially with Verstappen behind the wheel

“Theoretically, Singapore was such a track, that’s gone. It’s the condition of the day and with a Max in such super form, there’s nothing where we have to say we’re handicapped.”

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