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Ahead of the Hungarian GP, Max Verstappen affirmed his commitment to driving for Red Bull in 2026. The Dutchman's future with the team had been under the scanner primarily because of rising concerns about Red Bull's performance drop. Team advisor Helmut Marko has shared his reaction to Verstappen's confirmation.
Marko was a pivotal figure in the four-time F1 champion's rise through the ranks. However, with growing turmoil in the Red Bull camp and the steep performance drop of its 2025 challenger compared to McLaren, Mercedes, and Ferrari, a question mark was put over Verstappen's future.
Moreover, Mercedes showed interest in signing the Dutchman for 2026 and beyond, to replace George Russell. That added another undesirable problem for Red Bull to be on the lookout for, despite Max Verstappen's contract running through 2028.
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Ahead of the Hungarian GP, Verstappen finally put an end to the rumors. He said, via AP News:
"Some people just like to stir the pot, some people just like to create drama. But, for me, it’s always been quite clear, and also for next year. I’m discussing with the team already the plans — the things that we want to change for next year, so that means that I’m also staying with the team for next year."
After the Hungarian GP, which was a nightmare for Max Verstappen and Red Bull, Helmut Marko spoke about the star driver's decision to stay with the Milton Keynes outfit.
"It's a big relief and the whole team is really, really enthusiastic to make a better car for him next year," Marko said, via GPblog.
The Hungarian GP wasn't a promising race to set the tone for a renewed Verstappen-Red Bull partnership. The 27-year-old struggled throughout the weekend, in what was a season-worst for him.
Helmut Marko declares Max Verstappen's 2025 F1 title prospects "impossible" against the dominant McLaren
After the Hungarian GP, Helmut Marko declared that there was no way left for Max Verstappen or Red Bull to salvage anything in the context of the 2025 championship. The race at Hungaroring Circuit saw the Dutchman have a season-worst qualifying session and start eighth on the grid.
The race treated him no better. Verstappen got stuck in a DRS train after the first round of pit stops and was in dirty air throughout the race. He suffered a lack of grip throughout the weekend and finished the Hungarian GP one position lower than where he started, in P9.
Helmut Marko pulled no punches when assessing the race. He admitted that Red Bull's performance was "inferior." However, he felt that a one-stop strategy could've benefited Verstappen.
"But I think one stop would have been better, because overtaking was really difficult.. So maybe sixth or fifth [was possible], but the speed, which was funny, two or three laps, [Verstappen] was doing the same laps like the leaders, 1:19.5, but we believe we know what went wrong," he said, via PlanetF1.
When asked about the title prospects, Marko said:
"It's impossible, clearly."
Max Verstappen is third in the standings, 88 points adrift of Hungarian GP winner Lando Norris in P2. Oscar Piastri leads the championship nine points ahead of his McLaren teammate.
