Helmut Marko compares Max Verstappen's championship comeback with Sebastian Vettel's title run in 2010

Helmut Marko believes Max Verstappen is fighting one of the toughest championships of his career in 2025, even more challenging than Sebastian Vettel’s title run in 2010. Speaking to select media, including Sportskeeda, in Qatar, the Red Bull senior advisor admitted that he was surprised, as was McLaren, by Red Bull’s strategy execution and the four-time world champion’s performance in Qatar.

Verstappen is locked in a three-way fight for the first time in his F1 career, as he attempts to retain his crown and secure a fifth consecutive title. His dominant win in Qatar, combined with McLaren’s strategy miscalculations, propelled him to second in the drivers’ standings, just 12 points behind championship leader Lando Norris.

Vettel entered the final two rounds in a similarly tight three-way battle with teammate Mark Webber and Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso. Vettel ultimately clinched his maiden championship by a single point. According to Marko, Red Bull had two cars pressuring Ferrari at that time, whereas McLaren in 2025 effectively has only two drivers of their own and one Red Bull driver consistently in the fight, a dynamic that changes the competitive landscape.

Asked by Sportskeeda if Max Verstappen fighting a three-way battle in 2025 is reminiscent of Vettel’s 2010 title, Marko replied:

“Oh, 2010 was better for us because we had two drivers in the championship. And Ferrari focused on Red Bull and Webber which was correct because he had more points. McLaren has just to focus on Max, but to focus on Max is not so easy.”

Asked if this was the Dutchman’s best season with the way he has dragged the team into the title fight, Marko said:

“For sure, it is the most difficult one, we have so many up and downs, but he delivered unbelievable races. Imola, the first lap, the races in Las Vegas Brazil form the bit and he never gave up and he doesn’t make a mistake. He’s like a clock a Swiss clock or watch. With one dance he does 20 30 laps."

With one race left on the calendar, everything is on the line for the title contenders. McLaren arrives in Abu Dhabi with both drivers in the championship fight and the constructors’ crown already secured. They now have the most to lose if the drivers’ title slips to a rival. Red Bull and Max Verstappen, meanwhile, find themselves in the underdog position — needing to throw everything at the finale with nothing to lose.

In Qatar, Red Bull and Verstappen caught McLaren off guard with their pace on the hard tyre. During the second stint, Oscar Piastri was unable to close the gap to the front, a point Helmut Marko highlighted when he suggested that, despite McLaren’s confidence in countering the reigning champion, they may have underestimated the challenge in front of them.

Red Bull didn’t arrive in Doha with the upper hand on McLaren in terms of performance. According to Marko, they only managed to find the right setup by Q3 of qualifying, a delay that compromised their Sprint qualifying and Sprint race. He admitted that the improvement came too late, and hoped that the team could start the season finale on the right footing from the very first session.

Asked if he was surprised by McLaren’s strategies for both their drivers, Marko said:

“No, we just took this opportunity for us, and maybe, I don't know what they were thinking, but we knew we had to stop, and what surprised me was the speed of our car and the hard tire. And I think that surprised McLaren as well, because what I hear on the radio is ‘just get him/ them again’. But there was no way.”

Asked about his expectations from Max Verstappen and Red Bull going into the final race weekend, Marko said:

“I hope we find our setup earlier not only in the last Q3. But then with the speed we had I think we will have to hope Mercedes is competitive. Ferrari maybe in Abu Dhabi. So if both cars are in between it's better for us.”

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Helmut Marko suggests Kimi Antonelli might have deliberately let Lando Norris pass twice

Helmut Marko clarified the background to the comments made by both him and Max Verstappen’s race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, regarding Kimi Antonelli’s late-race defense in Qatar. On the penultimate lap, Lando Norris overtook Antonelli for fourth place, prompting Lambiase to tell Verstappen over team radio that the Mercedes rookie had intentionally allowed the McLaren through. Cameras later caught Lambiase approaching Toto Wolff to apologize for the remark.

After the race, Marko similarly suggested to Dutch media that Antonelli had aided a rival by opening the door for Norris. When this was put to Wolff, the Mercedes boss dismissed the claims sharply, terming the comment ‘brainless’. In reality, Antonelli had run wide, which enabled Norris to make the move.

When Marko was asked again about Wolff’s reaction, he stood by his view, insisting that the overtake appeared intentional and that the Mercedes driver seemed to yield on two occasions. Asked what he made of Lambiase’s comments on Antonelli letting Norris pass, Marko said:

“I did the same.”

Asked if he agreed with Lambiase, the Red Bull senior advisor replied:

“Yes I said not only. You know it was not only once it was twice. So twice you don’t have a failure on your underfloor. The first time he moved aside and let him go.”

Asked if he found it suspicious, Marko said:

“Yes, Toto is changing his opinion quite often. I say it was twice. Everybody noticed only the second time, but it happened the first time in the same way.”

In the aftermath of the Red Bull radio comments regarding Kimi Antonelli, the young Italian became the target of severe online abuse, including death threats on his social media channels. Mercedes swiftly condemned the attacks, with the FIA and Red Bull also issuing statements denouncing the harassment. Red Bull apologized for the remarks that fueled the backlash, as the incident intensified scrutiny on the growing problem of online toxicity within the sport. With F1’s expanding global fanbase, abusive behavior has escalated, making it a central focus of the FIA’s United Against Online Abuse campaign.

As for the championship picture, the title fight remains razor-close heading into Abu Dhabi. Lando Norris leads with 408 points, holding a 12-point advantage over Max Verstappen, who has climbed to second in the standings. Oscar Piastri sits third, 14 points behind Norris and two behind Verstappen. The permutations are straightforward: if Verstappen wins the season finale, Norris must finish fourth or lower to lose the championship. If Piastri wins, he also needs Norris to finish fourth or below to claim the title. For Norris, a third-place finish is enough to secure the driver’s crown regardless of who wins the race.