P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Max Verstappen’s title chances are seemingly hanging in the balance following a difficult event in Spain last weekend.
Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has acknowledged that Max Verstappen’s chances of winning the F1 title are slim due to McLaren’s strong performance. Verstappen has only won two out of the first nine races, while McLaren has claimed victory seven times. McLaren’s dominance has been led by Oscar Piastri, who currently holds a 49-point lead over Verstappen in the championship standings. Verstappen is now third behind Piastri and McLaren’s Lando Norris, with his points affected by a penalty at the Spanish Grand Prix. Marko admitted that at the moment, Verstappen’s car is not able to consistently challenge McLaren, and the gap might widen if they are unable to address the issues. Despite the challenges, Red Bull has a history of overcoming deficits in the past, and Marko remains hopeful that they can still mount a comeback in the current season.
