Red Bull Slows, McLaren and Ferrari Strengthen, Says Marko

According to Helmut Marko, Red Bull is losing speed as rivals McLaren and Ferrari make significant gains.

Ferrari and McLaren are launching a “major” assault on Red Bull’s Formula 1 dominance, says Dr. Helmut Marko, the Red Bull advisor.

In fact, the Austrian acknowledges that McLaren driver Lando Norris outpaced triple world champion Max Verstappen last time in Miami purely on the basis of raw speed.

“We were simply too slow,” Marko stated before Imola.

He once again tackled a claim by his team manager, Christian Horner, that Verstappen had damaged his floor too much by hitting a marker.

“Max didn’t think it was that serious, and he was right. The analyses showed that it cost almost nothing. The fact is that we were just slower than McLaren.”

“Even before Max hit the marker, we were barely ahead of Ferrari in terms of speed. We didn’t have the fastest car in Miami.”

Red Bull will attempt to strike back this weekend at Imola with an upgrade to its RB20 “which I have high expectations for,” added Marko.

“But it might not be enough. After McLaren, Ferrari is also launching a major assault with a very large upgrade package. Some are even talking about a Version B. If they take a few tenths off us all at once, it could tilt the championship for the upcoming races. But obviously, we also have things in preparation.”

“The battles for victories are going to be very tight, it’s going to be exciting for the fans.”

But it’s also 2025 that is being actively prepared behind the scenes. The other major assault by Ferrari on Red Bull could be a prize catch: Adrian Newey.

After announcing the recruitment of Loïc Serra and Jérôme d’Ambrosio yesterday, an announcement is expected regarding the Red Bull designer.

According to Italian media, Ferrari might reserve this announcement for their fans in Imola.

According to Sky Italia, “the official announcement is pending, but for Adrian Newey, all roads lead to Maranello. He will take on the role of super advisor from April 2025, with the opportunity to work on the F1 2026 project. He might also be involved in racing, given that he will arrive shortly after the season starts.”

In a new interview given to La Repubblica today, Vasseur was not ready to confirm the news.

“Adrian is a benchmark for all of Formula 1 due to his experience and track record, perhaps the most experienced of all. That said, I believe much more in the group than in individuals. Part of success always comes from the power of the collective, in the fact that everyone knows and is convinced of the role they have in the system, I will always be the one who emphasizes the importance of this thesis.”