Aug.4 (GMM) Max Verstappen and Dr Helmut Marko have both now conceded that Red Bull’s 2025 title campaign is effectively finished – following a miserable Hungarian GP.
The quadruple world champion finished just ninth on Sunday, far behind the dominant McLarens. After Hungary, Verstappen now trails championship leader Oscar Piastri by a whopping 97 points.
When asked post-race by Viaplay’s Chiel van Koldenhoven whether he was concerned about the stewards investigating a possible penalty for forcing Lewis Hamilton off track, Verstappen shrugged it off.
“It doesn’t matter anyway, Chiel,” he said. “Whether you finish ninth or don’t score any points, it doesn’t matter one bit.”
Asked if he was looking forward to the summer break, Verstappen replied: “That’s for sure.”
And when pressed about the wider competitiveness issues and what he has to say about them, Verstappen offered: “Actually, nothing, to be completely honest.
“There’s nothing to make of it. It was truly awful, but it had been that way all weekend. In that respect, it wasn’t that shocking.”
Advisor and mentor Marko, who briefly reignited hopes of a comeback after Christian Horner’s recent dismissal and the introduction of new upgrades, has now returned to his earlier position.
“That’s impossible,” Marko told Servus TV when asked if Verstappen could still win a fifth straight title. “Absolutely,” he said late on Sunday in Budapest.
Reflecting on Hungary, the 82-year-old explained: “The tyres weren’t working.
“But I think it was only a concern here, and it won’t happen again if our suspicion about the cause is confirmed. I don’t expect it to happen like this in the races after the summer break.”
Verstappen, though, remained cautious when told about Marko’s comments.
“That’s a bit too easy to say,” he replied. “Of course, we have ideas about where this came from, but I can’t always elaborate on that here. We would have solved it already if it was already fixable.”
Still, the Dutchman is managing expectations.
“I always remain fairly neutral about it,” said the 27-year-old. “I don’t want to be too optimistic or too pessimistic. Fortunately, I still won two races, but it is tough.
“You also have to acknowledge that McLaren is doing fantastically. Considering our problems, this doesn’t come as a surprise. I’ve had very good results for four years. Success comes and goes.”
With a major regulatory overhaul coming in 2026 – and Red Bull preparing its own Ford-involved power unit – Verstappen believes most teams will now shift focus.
“For all the teams, the focus will largely be on 2026. But we need to ensure we’re more consistent so we can still get some good results every now and then,” he said.
Marko echoed that sentiment – and said the August break is well timed.
“Yes. It’s really needed,” said the 81-year-old.
“At Red Bull, we still have a few positions we need to fill. We want to do that so Laurent Mekies can fully focus on racing. Other activities can then be handled by others.”
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