P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Helmut Marko has underlined how damaging Red Bull’s poor form before the F1 summer break has been to Max Verstappen’s drivers’ championship charge.
Red Bull adviser Helmut Marko believes the F1 drivers’ championship battle would have been impacted if their turnaround had happened sooner. Marko emphasized that falling behind McLaren at the beginning of the European season could be detrimental to Max Verstappen’s title chances. Verstappen, in pursuit of his fifth championship, has narrowed the gap to Oscar Piastri from 104 to 63 points through wins in Monza and Baku, as well as a second-place finish in Singapore. Marko agreed with Verstappen’s sentiment that more could have been achieved at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, acknowledging that the team’s recent fortunes improved significantly after upgrades following the Italian Grand Prix. Marko also echoed Verstappen’s belief that the RB21 had untapped potential which the team eventually unlocked, albeit later in the season. Despite the late turnaround, Red Bull has shown improved performance since Zandvoort, keeping them in contention at the top of the grid according to Marko.
