Red Bull buoyed by McLaren missteps

Jun.16 (GMM)  Dr Helmut Marko is leaving Montreal “very satisfied” after a Canadian Grand Prix that offered Red Bull renewed belief in the 2025 title fight.

Heading into the weekend, Marko had been downbeat about the team’s chances. But with McLaren stumbling and Mercedes’ George Russell taking a surprise win from pole, the championship picture appears less one-sided.

"We're very satisfied," Marko told Servus TV. "We were on par with Mercedes and McLaren. That gives us a boost for the next races."

Russell, who shared the podium with Max Verstappen, admitted that while he was thrilled with the win, a title push remains unlikely unless McLaren keep slipping.

"I think the two of us have been very consistent and getting the maximum result from our packages week in, week out," Russell said, referring to himself and Verstappen.

"But I can't imagine them (McLaren) continuing to throw away points in the manner they're doing."

McLaren’s Lando Norris made costly mistakes in both qualifying and the race — including a crash into teammate Oscar Piastri. Piastri managed to salvage fourth place, keeping his own title hopes intact.

Verstappen agreed that relying on rivals' errors won’t be enough.

"We need to start winning races more often," said the four-time world champion. "And how do we do that? By being more competitive."

Christian Horner, meanwhile, acknowledged that McLaren remain a serious threat.

"McLaren should be at the front" next time out in Austria, the Red Bull boss said.

Still, Marko believes the door is open if Red Bull can deliver clean weekends.

"We saw that McLaren was fast, but they couldn't overtake and therefore couldn't dominate. This is encouraging for the next races," said the Austrian.

"It gives us hope. The Red Bull Ring is another circuit with a different configuration, but we have seen that McLaren can be beaten — if you do everything right."]]>