Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has admitted the team will be in damage limitation mode over the next three rounds until it brings upgrades to its 2025 Formula 1 car.
With zero victories coming in the opening two races and Liam Lawson delivering a scoreless return, Red Bull’s points total is the side’s lowest at this point since 2020.
However, Max Verstappen’s heroics have ensured he is still within touching distance in the Drivers’ Championship as he sits second, eight points behind Lando Norris.
But Verstappen and Red Bull are under no illusions that improvements must be sought to the RB21 to bridge the current gap the squad holds to pacesetters McLaren.
Marko, though, has indicated that the upcoming triple-header in Japan, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia will be about minimising the points losses until those updates arrive.
“It is impossible to change a difficult car like the RB21 very quickly,” Marko told De Telegraaf.
“But yesterday Max Verstappen had a very positive meeting with the engineers.
“We really still have confidence. But realistically, the next three races will still be very difficult for Red Bull.”
Red Bull’s meeting with Verstappen
Expanding more on the intervention, Marko disclosed that Red Bull was able to reassure Verstappen about when he can expect to have a race-winning package again.
“A meeting took place in Milton Keynes where we explored how and when RBR would have a winning car again,” the Austrian told Speed Week.
“It was a good conversation between Max and the engineers.
“We were able to show Verstappen the general development direction of the race car and what specific improvements are being made to the car.
“We’re behind McLaren, the car is difficult to drive, and the set-up isn’t exactly straightforward either.”
Red Bull sets clear target with RB21 upgrades
Along with improving the car’s competitiveness, Marko admitted Red Bull is working to widen the RB21’s operating range to make the peak potential more accessible.
That admission has come as Lawson, who has since been demoted, encountered the same limitations that his predecessors experienced in the second Red Bull seat.
“Another problem, and one that Sergio Perez, with all his experience, had to deal with in 2024: the Red Bull car, with its narrow optimal operating range, is a difficult car to drive.
“On top of that, we’re two to three tenths of a second behind the frontrunners, which makes it even more difficult.”
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