Marko makes 'trust' call as two factors identified to turn Verstappen into a winner again

Helmut Marko has placed his trust in Red Bull's technicians and expressed confidence the team will turn around its form at the next race in the United States.

After winning seven of the opening 10 grands prix to continue his dominance from the previous two seasons, three-time F1 champion Max Verstappen has failed to win his last eight races - his worst streak since 2020 when he went 11 GPs without a victory.

The upshot has seen Red Bull overhauled in the constructors' championship by McLaren, with the Woking-based team leading by 41 points, whilst Lando Norris has closed to within 52 points of Verstappen in the drivers' standings.

One of the major issues experienced by Verstappen, and team-mate Sergio Perez, has been a disconnected balance between the front and the rear of the RB20.

There were, however, small shoots of a recovery in Singapore as Verstappen started and finished second around a Marina Bay Street Circuit where the team has traditionally struggled.

Marko is hopeful that with the foundations laid, they can be built upon at the next race at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin where a new floor is to be introduced, and with the belief it will again thrust Red Bull and Verstappen to the front of the field.

"In Singapore, Lando Norris showed strong speed and reduced his deficit to Max Verstappen to 52 points," said Marko, via his Speedweek column. "In the constructors' championship, McLaren has extended its lead over Red Bull Racing to 41 points.

"We need to improve significantly to turn things around and I am optimistic that we will be stronger again in Austin.

"As soon as Max starts winning races again, Sergio Perez usually steps up, and then the whole situation looks completely different."

Highlighting what needs to happen, Marko added: "But to do that, we need a wider working window for the car, which can't just function in a very narrow area.

"And we need the necessary speed. So those are two factors, and I trust our technicians to achieve that.

"Performance has to be demonstrated on the track, not just in the simulation. In the past, the lack of alignment between simulation and reality was one of the reasons why we were led in the wrong direction."