Max Verstappen-led Red Bull’s growing inferiority against McLaren highlighted in key F1 stat

Just two years ago, Red Bull, at the hands of Max Verstappen, had won the 2023 Hungarian GP, whereas the Dutchman finished a lowly ninth at the 2025 edition of the race. Meanwhile, McLaren has clinched two successive 1-2 finishes at the previous two editions of the race. This worrying statistic for the Austrian giant showcases how it has lost ground to the British team at the top of F1.

Verstappen-led Red Bull had been the dominant force in F1 two years ago. The Dutchman had won 19 of the 22 races held that year, and began the 2024 campaign with the same momentum.

However, McLaren soon started making inroads to become a title challenger after a mid-season update in 2023. The team went from scoring podiums occasionally to having claimed 1-2 results in half the races held so far.

With the Austrian giant slowly moving backwards in the F1 realm, when the numbers were crunched for how far McLaren has come in the paddock, an alarming statistic appeared for Red Bull. It revealed an almost net two-second loss for the Milton Keynes-based squad from its 2023 results:

"Red Bull's race pace compared to McLaren at Hungary through the years. 2023: 0.528s, FASTER 2024: 0.244s, SLOWER 2025: 1.012s SLOWER. That's a 1.784s swing in race pace since 2023. (Data via @f1bythenumbers1)"

Daniel Valente 🏎️

@F1GuyDan

🤯 Red Bull's race pace compared to McLaren at Hungary through the years 2023: 0.528s FASTER 2024: 0.244s SLOWER 2025: 1.012s SLOWER That's a 1.784s swing in race pace since 2023. (Data via @f1bythenumbers1)

McLaren has won 11 of the 14 races held so far, with Red Bull only being able to snatch two race victories with the help of Max Verstappen.

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Max Verstappen admits McLaren has done a "fantastic job" after a great start to their 2025 campaign

Lando Norris (L), Oscar Piastri, and Max Verstappen (R) posing after the qualifying for the F1 Grand Prix of Spain - Source: Getty

While the Red Bull camp has finally accepted that Max Verstappen would probably not win his fifth drivers' title this year, McLaren has done a stellar job this season. The Woking-based squad has two drivers fighting it out for the drivers' title, and Verstappen was appreciative of where the papaya squad has come from.

Subsequently, when the reigning champion was asked whether he knew that he wouldn't be in contention for the drivers' title, he told the media, including SK:

"I just stay neutral. So I don’t overly become optimistic or pessimistic or whatever. I was like, we’ll see. I mean, I hope of course that we get to win some races here and there, and I mean we still did that, we still won two races. But, it is tough, but at the other end also we need to acknowledge that McLaren has done a fantastic job. You know, from last year to this year also and from our side it’s been a bit difficult."

Verstappen has a 97-point deficit to championship leader Oscar Piastri heading into the summer break, with only 10 Grand Prix weekends left to conclude the 2025 season.