Helmut Marko Calls Out Red Bull Error As Championship Hope Rests On US GP Upgrade

Saajan Jogia | Oct 14, 2024

May 4, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Crew members push the car of Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen (1) back to the paddock after the F1 Sprint Race at Miami International Autodrome. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-Imagn Images / John David Mercer-Imagn Images

Red Bull senior advisor Helmut Marko has pinpointed the team's error that cost Max Verstappen a crucial victory at the Dutch GP in Zandvoort, his home race. This missed opportunity extends Red Bull's winless streak to eight races since Verstappen's last victory in Barcelona. Marko suggests that the incoming upgrade on the RB20 F1 car for the United States Grand Prix could turn things again in the team's favor.

The Milton Keynes outfit has been struggling with balance problems on its title contender, causing McLaren to take the lead in the Constructors' Championship after the race at Baku. McLaren's strong resurgence this season, demonstrated consistently across most races, is also enabling Lando Norris to close the gap on Verstappen in the Drivers' Standings, reducing the margin to just 52 points.

However, the 81-year-old advisor believes Red Bull made a miscalculation during the Dutch GP, thereby losing a chance to win a Grand Prix. The mistake caused Norris to finish the race ahead of Verstappen with a margin of more than 20 seconds at the finish line.

Now with six Grands Prix remaining before the 2024 season concludes, the battle for the Drivers' Championship could come down to the last race in Abu Dhabi. Highlighting one lost chance at the Austrian Grand Prix's Red Bull Ring which allowed Norris to catch before both cars made contact, Marko told Motorsport Magazin, as reported by Racingnews365.com:

"Gradually that has become more and more obvious.

"At the Austrian Grand Prix, Max drove another great lap in qualifying. I think we were about three tenths faster on the short circuit. 

"After one bad pit-stop, Norris was suddenly on his tail and I believe the DRS was very effective at the Red Bull Ring."

Explaining how Red Bull missed another opportunity at Zandvoort, where Norris unexpectedly overtook Verstappen and built a significant lead, catching the team off guard. Marko added:

"At Zandvoort we thought overtaking was impossible if we 'won' at the start," explained Marko. "That was a complete miscalculation. There Lando drove away from us."

Verstappen was carrying the team's performance almost single-handedly, as his teammate Sergio Perez suffered more from the car's balance problem. Marko explained that eventually, it came to a point where even the Dutchman suffered greatly, emphasizing that the RB20 needed serious work. He said:

"We gradually fell further and further back and it was mainly Max who was bringing in the points.

"At some point it became clear that we had to find speed. We have to develop a car that Max can attack with, because just betting on second place was not enough."

Hoping for the situation to take a positive turn this weekend at Austin, Marko added:

"There are still six races to go.

"We are already assuming that the trend we saw in Singapore and Baku, with a few changes in Austin, is going to provide the necessary turnaround. 

"If that turnaround actually happens, then Sergio Perez will also perform better again. Then we also have a chance at the constructors' title."