Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has acknowledged that the team faces an uphill battle to keep pace with McLaren in the 2025 Formula 1 championship after a bruising Miami Grand Prix, describing the performance gap as “depressing”.
Despite Max Verstappen starting from pole, the reigning world champion found himself unable to hold off either Oscar Piastri or Lando Norris, who charged to a commanding one-two finish for McLaren. Verstappen ultimately crossed the line in fourth place, nearly 40 seconds behind race winner Piastri, with George Russell also beating him to the podium.
From the opening lap, Verstappen’s struggle was evident. After battling Norris through the opening corners in Miami and forcing the McLaren wide, Verstappen appeared to have the early edge.
But it didn’t last long. Once Piastri overtook Kimi Antonelli to take second, he quickly closed in on the Red Bull and made a move for the lead on Lap 14. Verstappen locked up under pressure and never saw the front of the pack again.
Marko admits McLaren pace left Red Bull exposed
“The main conclusion is we are too slow,” Marko said to Motorsport.com. “We saw when they were driving flat out, we are seven tenths of a second behind. We saw the real speed for the first time.”
The admission marked a sharp shift in tone from Red Bull, who introduced a new floor upgrade in Miami in an attempt to close the gap. However, instead of progress, Verstappen struggled with grip and tyre degradation. He was unable to mount a serious challenge in the second stint and failed to get past Russell, who benefitted from a timely pit stop under a virtual safety car.
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Marko was blunt when assessing the size of the deficit: “It was depressing how quick the McLarens really are.”
Red Bull will now look to the next round in Imola, where another upgrade package is planned. Yet even Marko expressed doubts about whether the next steps will be enough to overturn McLaren’s momentum: “It has to [be], but such a big step is difficult to catch up.”
With Piastri now 32 points clear of Verstappen in the standings and McLaren firmly leading the constructors’ championship, the balance of power has clearly shifted. Red Bull may no longer be the ones setting the pace — and even internally, that reality is beginning to sink in.
