Breaking: Helmut Marko Issues Fresh Warning to Red Bull Following…read more
Helmut Marko Issues Fresh Warning to Red Bull Ahead of Tricky Monaco Grand Prix
Red Bull Racing may have tasted victory at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, but the team’s advisor Helmut Marko has urged caution as Formula 1 shifts its focus to the iconic and unpredictable streets of Monaco.
Max Verstappen delivered a strong performance at Imola, taking his second win of the 2025 season. The Dutchman benefited from a series of upgrades introduced by Red Bull, which appeared to help the car better suit his aggressive driving style. The win helped Red Bull fend off strong competition from McLaren, with Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris both pressuring Verstappen throughout the weekend.
However, Marko believes the team cannot afford to relax, pointing to the contrasting nature of the Monaco Grand Prix. While Imola’s high-speed corners and technical sections allowed Red Bull to maximize the benefits of their aerodynamic improvements, Monaco’s narrow streets and low-speed corners present a very different challenge.
“The car is now doing what Max wants again,” Marko told Austrian media outlet OE24. “That is due to the updates, which thank God have worked. But that was only Imola; at the next grand prix, things could look very different.
“[Monaco is] a completely different circuit with only slow corners. Things could be much worse there.”
Monaco, often described as the crown jewel of the Formula 1 calendar, is notorious for being a track where overtaking is nearly impossible and setup is everything. Cars need to be perfectly balanced through slow, twisty corners and responsive over bumps and curbs — areas where Red Bull’s RB20 has shown signs of vulnerability in previous street circuit outings.
Despite the warning, morale within the Red Bull camp remains high. Verstappen’s decisive move to take the lead from Piastri at the opening corner in Imola was praised by Marko, who once again highlighted the reigning world champion’s unmatched racecraft.
“With his manoeuvre at the start, Max proved once again that he is the best,” Marko said. “Seeing the opening and then exploiting it is something only he can do.”
The win also helped Red Bull maintain its lead in both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships, despite increasing pressure from McLaren and Ferrari, both of whom have shown significant gains in recent races.
As teams prepare for the sixth round of the 2025 Formula 1 season, attention turns to how Red Bull’s RB20 will fare on a circuit where car agility and driver confidence reign supreme. With qualifying often determining race outcomes in Monaco, the pressure will be on Verstappen and teammate Sergio Perez to extract every ounce of performance during Saturday’s all-important session.
For Red Bull, the mission is clear: build on their Imola momentum while bracing for a potentially tougher fight in the streets of Monte Carlo.
