Marko: Red Bull ‘reborn’ under Mekies with more to come

Helmut Marko says Red Bull is once again capable of fighting for victories in 2025, despite having recently written off its chances against McLaren’s superiority.

Max Verstappen’s dominant performance over the McLarens at Monza has dramatically changed the atmosphere within the Milton Keynes squad. Only days earlier, both Verstappen and Marko had accepted that the season’s title fight was finished and further triumphs were unlikely.

In an interview with Servus TV, however, Marko said the Italian Grand Prix marked a clear shift. "I think that was the right decision," he commented on the team’s management change, which saw Laurent Mekies step in for Christian Horner.

"Given the complexity of Formula 1, an engineer at the top is probably the better solution. Everything is then structured more from a technical perspective."

Although Verstappen’s chances of a fifth championship remain on paper, Marko acknowledged the battle is already decided.

"The World Championship is over, but a few wins would still be nice," he said. "I believe that with the speed we showed at Monza, we should be among the frontrunners on almost all tracks - hopefully on our own strength.

"It's working because the entire team is working together optimally, the drivers are also involved in the setup, and we can now make the most of the potential."

Verstappen, who celebrates his 28th birthday later this month, explained the step forward in more technical terms. "We had a new floor, and now we've also had a Monza rear wing - something we haven't had in the last few years," said the four-time world champion.

Before Monza he had dismissed the idea of more wins this year, but he too has revised that position. "I think it still depends a bit on the track, of course, but I hope we're closer now and that there are a few more tracks coming up where we have another chance," Verstappen said.