Helmut Marko confirms Red Bull upgrade in title fight boost

Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has confirmed Red Bull will introduce new parts next weekend in Imola.

The Milton Keynes-based squad has endured a tough start to the season with rivals McLaren taking five victories in the opening six rounds.

It currently sits third in the constructors' championship, 141 points down on leaders McLaren who also hold the top two positions in the drivers' standings.

Last time out in Miami, Verstappen crossed the line in fourth place, almost 40 seconds down on race-winner Oscar Piastri.

Assessing the race, Marko told oe24: “We were simply not fast enough.

“Max is fully there over one lap, so he compensates a lot with his skills. That's what I call the Max factor. But in the race, unfortunately, we saw the incredible speed of McLaren. 

“40 seconds behind is a lot. It would have been even more if Max had not driven in front of the McLarens in the opening phase and had not slowed them down.”

Marko suggested Red Bull is not even the second-fastest team on the grid as it stands.

"As George Russell's third-place finish shows, Mercedes is also stronger,” Marko added. “So we have to think of something and pull out all the stops to find more performance."

With Imola hosting round seven of the season, Marko hopes Red Bull can use its planned upgrades as a springboard to challenge McLaren.

“We will have new parts,” Marko added. “The question is whether it will bring us closer to McLaren. They have an incredibly strong car. 

“Max's pole position [in Miami] honestly only came about after McLaren and Kimi Antonelli made mistakes in the last laps.”