Red Bull’s first race without Christian Horner will be at the 2025 Belgian Grand Prix, but Helmut Marko is worried that things could go badly wrong for Max Verstappen at Spa.
The team made a major change during the three-week gap between Silverstone and Spa, letting Horner go after 20 years in charge. He wasn’t given a reason for his removal from the CEO and team principal roles.
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Laurent Mekies will step into those roles for the first time at Spa, having moved over from sister team Racing Bulls. Red Bull are also planning to bring some upgrades to Belgium, hoping they’ll help Verstappen stay in the fight for another drivers’ championship.
Verstappen heads into his second home race trailing McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris by 69 and 61 points in the standings. He’s also just 18 points ahead of George Russell, a gap that could become important soon.
Verstappen’s £47m-a-year deal with Red Bull, which runs through 2028, includes a release clause that could come into play at the end of 2025. If he’s outside the top three in the standings after the Hungarian Grand Prix, scheduled for a week after Belgium, he could choose to walk away.
For now, though, Red Bull motorsport adviser Marko is focused on the immediate task: keeping Verstappen in the title race. The team will roll out new upgrades at Spa and again at the Hungaroring, although Mercedes are also planning updates for Belgium.
He told OE24: “There are still 332 points up for grabs, which is a decent package. We hope the updates we’re bringing to Spa and Budapest will have an impact.”
However, one potential challenge is that this year’s Belgian GP will feature an F1 Sprint weekend. With only one practice session before qualifying and two races on Saturday and Sunday, there isn’t much time to fine-tune any new changes.
“Yes and no,” Marko added on whether the Sprint can be helpful “On the one hand there are more points up for grabs. But on the other hand two practice sessions are cancelled.
“We can’t afford a disaster Friday practice and then get the car into right tyre window. Everything has to be right right from the start.”
Max Verstappen’s contract with Red Bull, worth £47 million a year and running until 2028, includes a release clause that could see him leave at the end of 2025. The clause is triggered if he is outside the top three in the drivers’ standings after the Hungarian Grand Prix, which follows the Belgian GP.
For now, Red Bull motorsport adviser Marko is focused on keeping Verstappen in contention. The team will introduce updates at both Spa and the Hungaroring, but Mercedes are also planning upgrades for Belgium.
“There are still 332 points up for grabs, which is a decent package,” Marko told OE24. “We hope the updates we’re bringing to Spa and Budapest will have an impact.”
The Belgian GP also features an F1 Sprint, reducing practice time to just one session before qualifying. That means Verstappen can’t afford any early mistakes with setup or tyre strategy as Red Bull look to integrate their updates.
“Yes and no,” Marko said when asked if the Sprint format could be helpful. “On the one hand, there are more points up for grabs. But on the other hand, two practice sessions are cancelled.”
If Red Bull’s changes don’t close the gap on McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, Marko may have no choice but to admit their title hopes are over.
He added: “We can’t afford a disaster Friday practice and then get the car into the right tyre window. Everything has to be right, right from the start.”
Marko had previously written off Verstappen’s 2025 title hopes after the British GP, where he trailed McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris by 69 and 61 points respectively. But the updates Red Bull are bringing to Spa seem to have renewed his optimism.
Marko knows that Verstappen can’t afford to lose more ground, especially to Piastri. If the Australian outscores him by six points in Belgium, he would be three full Grand Prix wins ahead in the standings.
Spa is a circuit Verstappen knows well and likes, so there’s hope this could be where things turn around for him. Among current drivers, only Lewis Hamilton has more wins at Spa than Verstappen’s three victories.
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