Max Verstappen came fourth in the 2025 Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix yet Helmut Marko has hinted at how the Dutchman cost Red Bull a stronger result in Shanghai.
The 27-year-old failed to finish in a podium place for the first time this year last Sunday after fighting for the win at the Australian Grand Prix before sealing third in the F1 Sprint in China. Verstappen also qualified second on the grid for the Sprint last Saturday, just 0.018s off pole.
Fourth place was all that Verstappen would manage in qualifying for the Chinese GP, as well, as Oscar Piastri scored pole with a 0.176s margin to the Red Bull ace. The Australian went on to win with a 16.656s gap back to Verstappen, who was 5.559s shy of the podium spots, too.
Helmut Marko feels Max Verstappen was ‘too cautious’ in his first stint at the Chinese GP
Verstappen hacked away at the Red Bull star’s steering wheel in China as he fought with the RB21’s balance problems. The Dutchman left Shanghai rueing how his RB21’s balance could shift from corner to corner – leaving Red Bull too slow compared to McLaren and Mercedes.
But Red Bull motorsport advisor Marko also claims Verstappen was ‘too cautious’ in his first stint during the Chinese GP when using the medium compound Pirelli tyres. Red Bull pitted the four-time champion on Lap 13 of 56, at which point he was P6 and over 13s off the lead.
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Verstappen also entered the pit lane 4.516s behind Lewis Hamilton in P5, having lost places to both Ferrari drivers at the start of the Chinese GP. Falling down the order early on meant the 63-time Grand Prix winner was 3.845s off the lead after Lap 1 and continued to fall back.
“Things have been better, although our result was worse than our performance,” Marko has told OE24. “Max was too cautious with the medium tyres – with the hard ones, he was able to keep up with the McLarens anyway.”
Pirelli and most of the teams expected the Chinese GP would be a two-stop event, yet lower tyre degradation turned it into a one-stopper. Verstappen also made use of keeping his hard tyres in solid condition to overtake Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc for P4 on L53 after a late surge.
Helmut Marko hesitant to tip Max Verstappen for the 2025 title with Red Bull’s current car
Even with Verstappen able to keep pace with the McLarens amid his late charge on the hard tyres in China, Marko is hesitant to tip the Red Bull ace to defend his F1 drivers’ title again in 2025. While Red Bull do have upgrades coming, the RB21 is not currently a title-winning car.
“Our car would have to perform better,” Marko added. “Yes [we have upgrades coming] but it has to work first, and that won’t happen overnight.”
Red Bull will also hope changing their driver line-up helps them unlock more of the RB21’s potential, too, with Racing Bulls’ Yuki Tsunoda now trading seats with Liam Lawson. Marko admits Red Bull made a ‘mistake’ promoting Lawson, who is still to score a point this term.
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