Red Bull has been winless since last June, when Max Verstappen won the Spanish Grand Prix. This translates to an eight-race drought, which could have been shortened if the Austrian team had not made a fatal mistake in the Netherlands.
In recent races, McLaren has taken control of the Constructors’ Championship, building a 41-point lead ahead of the next GP in the United States.
Now Max Verstappen also has to watch out for Lando Norris, who, with a 52-point gap, has his sights set on the Dutch rival. Marko identified the Austrian GP as the moment he realized a battle was brewing. Of course, the Dutchman and Lando Norris then clashed at turn 3, but it gave a glimpse of what would be the heated rivalry for the rest of the 2024 season. However, it was at Zandvoort that Marko admits Red Bull made a crucial mistake. There, Max Verstappen started second to Lando Norris, who was on pole, before overtaking the Brit at the first corner.
Red Bull assumed that at that point, the #4 driver would not be able to pass the Dutchman during the race. Instead, the Austrian team was wrong, as the McLaren driver not only passed Verstappen during the first stint but also won the race with a 23-second lead over P2.
“At Zandvoort, we thought overtaking would be impossible if we ‘won’ at the start,” Helmut Marko explained. “It was a complete miscalculation. Lando pulled away from us there.”
After the summer break, Red Bull appeared to struggle more, leaving room for McLaren, now leading the Constructors’ Championship, as well as the chasing Mercedes and Ferrari teams. Despite this, Max Verstappen managed to secure important points, especially with the unexpected podium in the Singapore Grand Prix at the Marina Bay street circuit.
“We gradually fell further behind, and it was mainly Max who brought in the points,” the Austrian advisor added. “We need to develop a car that Max can attack with because aiming just for second place is not enough.” – he pointed out – “There are still six races to go. We are already assuming that the trend we saw in Singapore and Baku, with some changes in Austin, will provide the necessary turnaround. If it really happens, then Sergio Perez will perform better again. Then we also have a chance to win the Constructors’ title.”
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