Dr Helmut Marko anticipates that chatter about Max Verstappen’s next move will ramp up as the 2025 season unfolds.
Dr Helmut Marko anticipates that chatter about Max Verstappen‘s next move will ramp up as the 2025 season unfolds.
While the Liam Lawson–Yuki Tsunoda seat switch dominated headlines, Verstappen headed to Milton Keynes last week for a crucial meeting with engineers to tackle the 2025 Red Bull‘s tricky handling and sluggish pace.
“We were able to show Max the general development direction of the car and what concrete improvements are being made,” team advisor Marko told Speed Week.
He also informed formel1.de: “The car needs to be upgraded so that Max can win a fifth world title. That’s our main goal and the whole team is working hard to achieve it.”
Beyond the championship, Red Bull faces a bigger risk—mounting signs that the Dutchman’s frustration with the team is growing, with potential 2026 switches to Mercedes or Aston Martin in play.
“All the top drivers have clauses in their contracts that allow them (the contracts) to be terminated in the event of poor results,” Marko conceded.
“But all such clauses are formulated differently, and at the moment this topic is not being discussed at all.”
Still, he acknowledges that if Red Bull’s progress stalls, the run-up to the summer break could spark a frenzy over contract clauses. “Yes, that’s the time frame,” said Marko, 81.
“But think about it—we’re currently second in the standings, just 8 points behind the leader. And the summer break is still a long way off.”
Should Verstappen leave, it might signal the end of Marko’s own Red Bull chapter. “Yes, that could be a good reason (to leave),” admitted the Austrian.
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