Marko delivers Red Bull winter break warning

Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has warned Red Bull that it needs to develop a car that can perform consistently during the upcoming winter break. 

Marko comments came after Max Verstappen secured victory in the Qatar Grand Prix, ahead of Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri. 

Verstappen started in second following an odd one-place grid penalty, for driving unnecessarily slowly in qualifying.

Despite this, the Dutchman took the lead into the first corner after making a better start than polesitter George Russell. 

The four-time world champion remained in the lead for the entirety of the race to claim a ninth victory of the season, completing a remarkable recovery from a tough start to the weekend.

"The right changes were made to the car and Max once again drove a fantastic race," Marko told Sky DE. 

"He always kept Lando Norris at a distance so that the DRS could not be activated. At the restarts, Max was also very good. 

"On one of the restarts, things went a little wrong because the tyres were too cold. He spun the tYres too much, but he recovered the distance right away,."

Marko calls for 'consistent car'

Not for the first time this season, Red Bull performed a miracle to turn its car around. 

Across Friday and the sprint race, the RB20 struggled for pace, only for Verstappen to come alive in qualifying and the grand prix.

Successful changes were made by the Milton Keynes-based team, yet Marko recognises that Red Bull cannot always rely on this going into next season.

"It was a very eventful race," added Marko. "It wasn't easy to keep everything together and at the safety car the lights didn't always work. So all sorts of things happened. 

"A win like this just before the winter break is of course incredibly important and motivating. We have to take this momentum with us.

"As I have said a few times, the rules will remain the same next year and the teams will be even closer together. 

"And it's important then that we have a consistent car with a wider working window. So that's the intention and we have to make that happen over the winter."