Marko voices fear over Verstappen Red Bull exit

Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has admitted he is worried Max Verstappen could opt to depart the team amid its latest struggles.

The Dutchman crossed the line in sixth place at the Bahrain Grand Prix, capping off a difficult weekend.

Verstappen's race was plagued by a number of issues as he was heard over the team radio complaining about the car's balance as well as the overheating tyres.

His woes came as McLaren enjoyed a strong race with Oscar Piastri who dominated en route to victory while team-mate Lando Norris bagged third place despite having issues of his own.

Speaking to Sky Deutschland, Marko called on Red Bull to make rapid improvements or risk being eliminated from championship contention. 

“It is clear: we need to make progress,” he said. “Not progress in points, but on the stopwatch. 

“And with a performance like we are putting in now, unfortunately, nothing will come of the world championship.”

Marko recently declared an exit clause in Verstappen's contract could become a topic of conversation around the summer break.

The four-time champion has been linked with a departure from the team across the last 12 months with Mercedes and Aston Martin labelled as potential destinations.

When asked how big the worries are that Verstappen could opt to leave, Marko replied: “Those are very big.

“Improvements have to be made in the near future so that he has a car he can win with. 

“It shouldn't be a fluke, like in the rain in Brazil or in Japan. There the track came to him and he set a magic lap. There has to be a stable base.”