Red Bull reveal bad news for Max Verstappen

Helmut Marko has confirmed Red Bull will not deliver any more "major updates" to the RB21 over the remainder of the F1 season, as Max Verstappen clings onto his slim hopes of retaining his drivers' title.

Sitting third in the championship standings, 49 points adrift of Oscar Piastri, the Dutchman's fight to win a record-equalling fifth-consecutive crown is fading fast.

Coming into the Spanish Grand Prix, the deficit was just 25 points - equivalent to a race win - but safety car and strategy misfortune, not to mention hitting the side of George Russell's Mercedes, means he left the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya with a solitary point whilst the Australian took his fifth victory of the campaign.

Throughout the year, Verstappen has been battling, and staying in touch, with Piastri and Lando Norris, despite racing in machinery inferior to the McLaren MCL39.

Part of the issue, as highlighted by Marko, is a lack of consistency from the Milton Keynes squad's package. This, on top of a narrow operating window, has led to differing fortunes for Verstappen on any given weekend.

"To win the drivers' championship, we need a car that's competitive on all tracks, not just on specific circuits. That's not enough for the world championship," the Austrian wrote in his Speedweek column.

"Against the currently strong McLaren team, you only have a chance if everything goes perfectly. We have the perfect driver, but all the factors have to be right – the pit stops, the strategy, the car, and the tyre wear.

"You have to get the car into the right working window and the tyres to the right temperature. Maybe it's just a small adjustment that needs to be made.

"We often start very poorly in practice on Friday and manage to improve the car by qualifying, sometimes making it capable of a podium finish or even a win. However, we lack the consistency that McLaren demonstrates."

Bad news

Marko insisted Red Bull is "working tirelessly" to correct those problems, but explained any further improvements will be minor tweaks and less significant.

Whilst bad news for Verstappen and his title aspirations, Marko explained the team would not stop developing until the championship is completely out of the Dutchman's reach.

"We're working tirelessly on this and will continue to make small adjustments, but nothing major is planned," the 82-year-old stated.

"We've had some major updates in the past, such as a new underbody and new side-pods. But now it's more about the details.

"We'll continue developing as long as there's a chance in the world championship. After that, the focus will shift entirely to the 2026 project.