Marko doubts Verstappen can mount second-half title charge

Former Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has cast serious doubt on Max Verstappen's chances of mounting a second-half championship charge, predicting the four-time champion will not repeat last season's mid-season turnaround. Marko cited internal struggles, an unstable RB21, and fierce competition from McLaren and Ferrari as major barriers for the Milton Keynes squad.

Why it matters:

Verstappen's winless start through 11 rounds marks a dramatic collapse from Red Bull's dominant era, raising serious questions about the team's technical direction and its star driver's long-term future. As the man who guided Verstappen's career from the outset, Marko's unusually blunt assessment underscores the depth of the crisis unfolding within the reigning champions' camp.

The details:

• Marko told Krone that Red Bull is simply not "consistently fast" and the RB21 remains "too unstable" to realistically challenge McLaren and Ferrari at the front
• He highlighted apparent friction between Verstappen and his engineers, suggesting that strained communication behind the scenes is compounding the team's on-track struggles
• The contrast with last season is stark: Red Bull previously engineered a decisive developmental surge that propelled Verstappen back into title contention, but Marko stated he "certainly wouldn't bet on" history repeating itself
• While Verstappen has salvaged five podiums from a difficult opening half, Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren have all secured victories while Red Bull has been completely shut out
• Marko addressed persistent exit speculation by expressing sincere hope that Verstappen honors his contract through 2028, even as rumors of an early departure from Milton Keynes continue to swirl

What's next:

Red Bull now faces a pivotal summer break as it races to stabilize the RB21 and mend the reported rift between Verstappen and the engineering corps. Without meaningful performance gains and improved harmony in the garage, both the driver's patience and the team's championship credentials look set to erode further when the season resumes.