Helmut Marko: Red Bull must deliver Verstappen a strong car in ’26

Of course, the only consequence of the new flexi-wing regulations was that McLaren consolidated their supremacy.

This leaves Red Bull with the task of damage limitation for the coming months, whilst also aiming for a recovery in 2026.

Red Bull are fighting uphill battles on two fronts

On paper, both world titles are now beyond Red Bull’s grasp this year. This would be reason, in normal circumstances, to essentially write-off what remains of the season.

Unfortunately for the Milton Keynes outfit, they are not in a position to do this.

Their largely self-inflicted driver dilemma means they must work hard to reverse Tsunoda’s fortunes after the summer break.

The team’s decision to give Tsunoda a new floor in Spa (which was previously reserved as a spare for Verstappen) was the first sign of their shift to offer more support to their second driver.

More broadly, Verstappen’s P9 result in Hungary (finishing behind Liam Lawson) showcased how far Red Bull have fallen.

Whilst the Hungaroring’s characteristics did not suit the RB21, their performance was still alarming.

Without any upgrades scheduled for the remainder of 2025, delivering better results will be an immense challenge.

To some extent, Red Bull’s pace will be somewhat circuit-specific, meaning on some weekends they will have to settle for relatively uninspiring results.

Still, in what has been a disappointing season, it will be important to end on a high note.

Not only for the sake of the team, but also for Verstappen’s future.

Marko: Verstappen could “reconsider” future without strong package

Max Verstappen was in negotiations with Mercedes earlier this year.

These talks were undoubtedly catalysed by Red Bull’s poor 2025 campaign, b ut were also a consequence of the expectations for the 2026 regulations.

Generally speaking, Red Bull are seen as a team that will struggle next year – due to the demands of making their own power unit.

Mercedes, meanwhile, have all the ingredients to fight at the very front.

Because of this, as Helmut Marko explained in a recent interview, Red Bull must produce a top car next season:

“No one knows what the situation will look like in 2026,” he told f1-insider.

“On the engine side, Mercedes declare themselves the class leader, but there is no proof.

“On the chassis side, you don’t know whether someone will hit the jackpot.

“So there is a lot of uncertainty and, purely from his perspective, it makes much more sense to stay, look at all of this.

“And if perhaps we are not competitive next year, then reconsider his decision.

“Max is a very important part of our team. He has achieved his successes with Red Bull Racing.

“In his F1 career he has only ever driven Red Bull cars, and beyond his driving potential, he is simply a very important family member for us.”