Today at 07:25
Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko has warned McLaren's
drivers that with "substantial" points still up for grabs, Max
Verstappen remains a threat in the F1 drivers' title. Across the
second half of the season there remains 332 points up for grabs,
with Verstappen sitting 69 points adrift of championship leader
Oscar Piastri. Lando Norris is only eight points behind his
team-mate, and is viewed by many as Piastri's only rival for the
championship. However, Marko is insistent that Verstappen is not
out of the fight, especially with Red Bull having upgrades for the
next two rounds. "There are still 332 points up for grabs this
season, and that's still quite substantial," Marko told OE24 . "We
hope that the upgrades we will take to Spa and Budapest will have a
decent impact [on performance]." The Milton Keynes-based outfit
will introduce upgrades in the Belgian and Hungarian Grands Prix,
in what is the latest boost to Verstappen. However, F1's visit to
Spa-Francorchamps falls on a sprint weekend, reducing the practice
time for the four-time world champion to determine the performance
of the new parts. Asked if the Belgian GP featuring a sprint is an
advantage, Marko answered: "Yes and no. On the one hand it does
allow us to score more points, but on the other hand it also
deprives us of two practice sessions. "We can't afford any
disasters during Friday's practice and then get the car in the
right working window with the tyres. Everything has to be right
from the very first minute." Should Verstappen secure victory in
Belgium, it would increase belief in the paddock that he could get
involved in the title fight. Marko is not ruling out Verstappen
managing to seal a fifth consecutive drivers title this year,
saying: "That chance is there, yes."
