The first step to resolve the final remaining Formula One seats available for 2025 has now taken place. Dr. Helmut Marko has put pen to paper which will see him stay with the Red Bull Racing outfit   until at least the end of the 2026 season.

This will halt the speculation that Mercedes is about to sign the world champion driver who has been disturbed by internal fighting within the energy drinks organisation. Verstappen now sits 84 points ahead of Lando Norris who is in second place in the drivers’ title race, but with 12 reached of the season remaining a fourth consecutive championship for Verstappen is not assured.

McLaren put both of their cars on the front row in Hungary, with Lando Norris claiming the third pole position of his career by just 0.22 seconds from Oscar Piastri. Verstappen was just 0.024 seconds further back with Sainz and Hamilton almost half a second further behind in P4/5 respectively.

 

 

 

Marko reveals thoughts of leaving 

Rumours have swirled around the Red Bull Racing outfit that Verstappen could exercise an exit clause to excuse his from his contract which runs to 2028, in particular should his friend and mentor Dr. Helmut Marko leave the team.

The 81 year old consultant revealed earlier this season he had considered leaving Red Bull at there end of last season. When asked about the reports of Christian Horner being accused of “inappropriate behaviour”, Dr. Marko revealed to de Telegraf: 

“I hope [the drama] will all be over as soon as possible. I was already thinking about leaving at the end of last year, but I also think we should think about [Red Bull founder] Dietrich [Mateschitz’s] legacy, what his ideas were and where they took us. We owe that to him.”

Helmut did in fact sign a new contract for 2024 yet this has not prevented Toto Wolff from pursuing Verstappen and even Marko himself who the Mercedes boss suggested could fill the Niki Lauda role at the Brackley based team.

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Wolff attempts to lure Verstappen

“We are missing our old mascot anyway. Then we’ll just take Helmut! He fits in terms of age. He doesn’t have a red cap, but he can come to us,” joked Toto. “Helmut is not a child of sadness and was – or is – our favourite enemy. But he is a real racer. If Helmut leaves, it is certainly a loss for Red Bull and for the team.”

Of course Wolff would need to accommodate Marko if he had any hope of luring Verstappen to join the eight times world championships winning team.

When it appeared that Dr. Marko may be suspended due to his alleged role in leaking the details of the Horner enquiry, Max Verstappen came out behind his mentor and friend stating: “I am loyal to Helmut. He is a big and important part in my decision making and important he stays within the team including everyone else.

“So for me, Helmut has to stay. He has built this team with [Red Bull co-founder] Dietrich Mateschitz from day one and been loyal. You need to give the man respect for what he has done and that  comes back to loyalty and integrity and is important to why he stays part of the team.”

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Max’s contract exit clauses

Along with the Marko exit clause, Verstappen has performance related clauses in his contract which could be activated at the summer break were the team not delivering him with a wining car. motorsport.com now report these cannot be activated given the lead Red Bull has I the constructors’ and drivers’ title races.

With a resurgent Mercedes claiming victory at the last two Grand Prix in Austria and Great Britain, Toto Wolff had again upped the anti when asked about the possibility of Verstappen joining the Brackley squad. Wolff teased the assembled media with talks of another Mercedes dominant power unit in the pipeline, which could see them again dominate F1 as they did from 2014-2021.

Red Bull have now acted to pin down Dr. Marko with a new contract which sees him remaining with the team until at least the end of 2026 when the results of the biggest FIA regulation change will be fully known.

Further, motorsport.com reports there is now an agreement in principal between the team and Max that circumstances beyond the control of the team – such as illness – are no reason for Verstappen to activate his exit clause.

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Perez sacked imminently

Marko’s new deal until 2026 effectively locks down Verstappen at Red Bull, yet the thorny issue of his future team mate remains.

Sergio Perez was reportedly given this weekend in Hungary and the next in Belgium to save his seat with the world champion team, yet again in qualifying one, the Mexican driver put his RB20 into the wall and will start the race down in P16.

This is the fifth occasion in the past six Grand Prix Checo has failed to make it into the pole position shootout. He has scored just 15 points over that time, including 1 in the Austria Sprint. Red Bull will be forced to replace their failing number two driver, but the question is whether it will be with a driver set to retain the drive alongside Max into 2025.

With Carlos Sainz hanging out for a top seat at either Red Bull or even Mercedes, the likely solution for Milton Keynes is to promote Daniel Ricciardo to RBR and bring in Liam Lawson as team mate to Yuki Tsunoda. The Japanese driver made it clear this weekend he would be upset if Lawson was parachuted into the senior squad ahead of him, calling it “weird.”

Ricciardo confirms he’s targeting Perez seat

 

 

 

Marko puts Yuki on notice

When advised of his young driver’s comment, Dr. Marko revealed why his authority within the Red Bull organisation is unquestionable. “He should first wait [and see] what the decisions will be,” stated the Austrian.

Yet now with all talk of Verstappen possibly leaving Red Bull Racing, the team can focus on Checo’s longer term replacement which must include the possibility of recruiting Carlos Sainz.

Much has been made of the fact that Verstappen doesn’t want Carlos as his team mate and their single year together at Toro Rosso is cited as the reason. Yet Dr. Marko recently praised the Spaniard’s efforts while Max’s team mate.

Wolff says Marko is right about Mercedes’ Achilles heel

 

 

 

Sainz: Red Bull ‘no brain’ signing

“[Max] Verstappen and Sainz were very evenly matched, but we didn’t have the possibility to offer him [Sainz] more [than a seat at Toro Rosso],” Marko told Formel1.de

“He was not convinced of the future prospects at Toro Rosso and his feeling was he was not progressing, and he did not want to wait any longer.”

With Verstappen settling in alongside Daniel Ricciardo, Sainz realised the chance of promotion from Toro Rosso was slim and so he left for the recently re-acquired Renault works outfit.

Carlos Sainz is the ‘no brain’ signing for Red Bull Racing as the permanent replacement for Sergio Perez. With Marko now committed until 2026 which ties down Max for the intervening period, maybe the discussions will quickly turn to Sainz as the solution for Red Bull to claim an eighth constructors’ title in 2025 to match their arch rivals Mercedes.

Hamilton admits to insurmountable issue

 

 

 

FIA investigate ‘cheating’ team’s front wing

As Formula One rolled into Hungary, the paddock was awash with talk of cheating. Red Bull started the year as they finished 2023 and it looked by the end of their 1-2 at the Chinese Grand Prix as though this would be another season of domination from the World Champions.

Yet the RB20 car proved fatally flawed for the streets of Monaco and there was no podium for the team again in Austria, although for different reasons. Whispers abound in Budapest that behind the scenes the FIA intervened some weeks ago over suspect components on the Red Bull car. Since then its performance has dropped off, is the explanation offered.

The same could be said of Ferrari who since their Barcelona upgrade have looked a different outfit. Outscored by Mercedes, McLaren and Red Bull over the last six races, Ferrari hopes a revision to its floor this weekend will solve the problems the drivers have been facing since Monaco… READ MORE