Helmut Marko Sets Bare Minimum Target for Red Bull: “Max Verstappen Will Take Care of the Rest”

F1 Grand Prix of Brazil Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing RB20 and Helmut Marko, Drivers Manager of Red Bull Racing, pose for a portrait during the Formula 1 Grand Prix of Brazil at Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on October 31, 2024.

Max Verstappen won his fourth consecutive title in 2024, driving a rather weak Red Bull car to glory. However, doing the same in 2025 could prove to be difficult, especially with their rivals having closed the gap. Helmut Marko has, therefore, laid out expectations for the new campaign for Verstappen to achieve the same feat again.

Marko insisted that Verstappen will be Red Bull’s biggest advantage heading into the season. He acknowledged that things would be tough for the Dutchman and the Milton-Keynes-based outfit but is convinced that all Verstappen needs is a fast enough car.

“We need to produce a valid single-seater, but above all sincere and manageable. We don’t necessarily need a car much faster than the others,” said the Austrian to La Gazzetta dello Sport. “It will be enough to give him a competitive machine… He will take care of the rest.” 

Marko claimed that Verstappen’s ability to defend his title might be a bit unrealistic, but his performance in 2024 gives them hope. Red Bull did not have a strong car for around two-thirds of the campaign, but his early-season push, where he won seven out of the first 10 races, helped him retain his crown.

However, Red Bull may not have this luxury anymore. In fact, they are expected to be the third-fastest team on the grid this year, behind Ferrari and McLaren, which means that, for the first time in three years, Verstappen won’t be the favorite to win the Drivers’ title.

Lando Norris goes into 2025 as the favorite

The pecking order at the end of last season sees Red Bull starting this season on the back foot. Hence, many experts, including 2016 F1 World Champion Nico Rosberg, believe Norris to be the favorite to clinch his maiden title over Verstappen.

That said, at the moment, the bookmakers have squared off Verstappen and Norris on equal footing as far as odds are concerned. Both drivers are ranked at 2/1 to win the 2025 Drivers’ World Championship, according to GrandPrix247.

Norris’ teammate, and 2024’s breakthrough star, Oscar Piastri, has been allocated handsome odds of 8/1 to snatch his maiden F1 title in just his third full-time season in the sport. Alongside this trio, the Ferrari duo of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton also cannot be ignored.

Given Ferrari’s late-season form, Leclerc is one of the favorites to vie for the championship this year. Moreover, with Hamilton’s iconic move to the Scuderia, the seven-time world champion is expected to return to the grid more motivated than ever to seal that elusive eighth world title.

Post Edited By: Somin Bhattacharjee
Helmut Marko Max Verstappen Red Bull

About the author

Anirban Aly Mandal

Anirban Aly Mandal is an F1 writer at The SportsRush, with over 1000 articles under his belt, Anirban's love for F1 started when he discovered a copy of F1 2014 on his computer. With over half a decade's worth of time spent religiously following the sport, he’s dived deep into the world of motorsports. However, Anirban's expertise goes beyond just writing - he has also written several academic papers focused on the domain of motorsports and the law. His passion for the sport is so immense that he aspires to work as a legal advisor in the most prestigious racing series in the world someday. When it comes to Formula 1, Anirban finds great pleasure in re-watching classic races and idolizes the likes of Ayrton Senna, Nigel Mansell, and Sebastian Vettel. His top picks include Brazil '91, Silverstone '92, and Germany '19. Outside of the sport, Anirban is an avid sim racer, often found racing on titles like Assetto Corsa, F1 22, and Automobilista. Apart from his interests in gaming, Anirban has a keen interest in philosophy, literature and music.

Don’t miss these