Helmut Marko tells Max Verstappen how many wins he ‘definitely needs’ to beat Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris to F1 title

Max Verstappen won the 2025 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix for his second victory of the season so far, yet the Red Bull racer still trails McLaren rival Oscar Piastri by 22 points.

His win in round seven at Imola last Sunday marks the longest that Verstappen has waited to take two race victories in any F1 season since 2020. The 2020 season was also the last time that the Dutchman did not win the drivers’ championship, as he came third in the standings.

Verstappen only took five races in 2021, four in 2022, three in 2023 and two in 2024 to score multiple Grand Prix victories en route to securing the championship each term. But the 2025 season started with Lando Norris recording his sole win so far and Piastri has won four since.

Helmut Marko sets Max Verstappen a target of ‘five or six’ Grand Prix wins for the 2025 F1 title

Red Bull are also yet to see Verstappen get back-to-back podium finishes so far this year, let alone consecutive wins. But motorsport adviser Helmut Marko thinks Verstappen ‘definitely’ needs three or four more wins to deny Piastri and Norris the 2025 F1 drivers’ championship.

Verstappen overtook Piastri at the start of the Emilia Romagna GP to win at Imola, but fell to sixth in the Bahrain Grand Prix following his first win of the year in Japan. He also finished P4 in China and Miami after coming second to Norris in Australia and to Piastri in Saudi Arabia.

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Marko told sport.de: “He definitely needs five or six wins. And that will be difficult against McLaren because McLaren have proven that their car works on any track, with any type of tyre and in any temperature.

“Everything has to come together and work optimally for us to have a chance. But I hope Lando Norris starts winning again and they take points away from McLaren. We have to take advantage of that.”

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F1 now heads for the Monaco Grand Prix this week, straight off the back of Verstappen’s win at Imola ahead of Norris. The Red Bull racer is returning to the site of his joint-worst result in 2024 of P6, and Marko fears Monaco could be ‘much worse’ for Verstappen than Imola was.

The slow-speed corners that make up the street circuit in Monte Carlo will not suit Red Bull’s car as much as the high-speed turns at Imola. So, it could give Piastri and Norris the chance to hit back after the Emilia Romagna GP, where they lost 10 and seven points to Verstappen.

Imola marked the 65th Grand Prix victory that Verstappen has secured through his 216 race entries to date. His total includes two wins at the Monaco GP in 2021 and 2023, so the Red Bull racer will hope to continue one of his alternating records in Monte Carlo this weekend.