Title fight psychology: Helmut Marko reminds McLaren of Red Bull’s last-race wins. Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko puts psychological pressure on McLaren ahead of Brazil.

Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko is adding a psychological edge ahead of the final races of the 2025 Formula 1 season, keeping McLaren on alert.

36 points to recover

With four Grand Prix and two Sprint races remaining in the 2025 F1 World Championship, the internal battle at McLaren between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri – separated by just one point in favor of the Englishman – now has a third contender: Max Verstappen, trailing by 36 points. The Dutchman is an unexpected challenger, considering that over the summer his deficit had exceeded 100 points. This gives both Max Verstappen and Red Bull an opportunity to apply psychological pressure on their rivals.

Marko’s warning

Speaking to the Krone, Helmut Marko said that although Singapore and Mexico were not perfect weekends for Red Bull, they still gained points on the championship leader, marking five consecutive weekends of progress. Looking ahead to Brazil, where last year Red Bull took a key step toward the title, Marko added that McLaren seems determined to let their drivers race freely until the end, and that Oscar Piastri might make Red Bull’s comeback more challenging.

Helmut Marko also recalled the history of Red Bull clinching titles in the final races. Referring to the 15th anniversary of Sebastian Vettel’s first championship (7 November 2010), he highlighted Abu Dhabi 2010, when Vettel entered the final race third in the standings behind Alonso and Webber, only to win the title. Helmut Marko hopes for a similar scenario this year, noting that Red Bull has also won the championship in the last race in 2012 and 2021, with Verstappen even securing victory on the final lap. “We have some experience in this,” he added.

The 2026 drivers

Helmut Marko closed by discussing the team’s driver lineup for 2026. To maintain maximum motivation, Red Bull has delayed any final decision until the end of the season. He confirmed that there is still a lot at stake, with the team only 10 points from second in the Constructors’ Championship, and noted Yuki Tsunoda’s improving trend. Helmut Marko also praised Lindblad, explaining that during testing in Mexico, he outpaced Yuki Tsunoda using the same program, calling him “definitely a man to count on for the future.”