P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has accepted that the team’s chances of F1 title success are “over” after what he described as a “black day” for Max Verstappen at the Austrian Grand Prix.
Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko acknowledged that the team’s chances of winning the Formula 1 title are now non-existent following what he labeled a “black day” for Max Verstappen at the Austrian Grand Prix. Verstappen was eliminated from the race on the opening lap after a collision with Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s Mercedes at Turn 3. This incident ended Verstappen’s second-longest points-scoring streak in F1 history, leaving him 46 points adrift of championship leader Lando Norris and 61 points behind Oscar Piastri. Marko expressed serious doubts about Verstappen’s ability to retain the Drivers’ title, asserting that the gap is nearly insurmountable, with the championship effectively out of reach. Verstappen, who started seventh due to a late yellow flag in qualifying, was believed by Marko to have had the pace to challenge for a podium finish, but his race was effectively ended when Antonelli collided with him on the very first lap. Antonelli received a grid penalty for the incident, which Marko believed robbed Red Bull of a potential opportunity to secure a podium finish.
