Marko: McLaren drivers feeling the pressure as Verstappen gains in F1 title race

Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko thinks McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are starting to feel the pressure from Max Verstappen in the 2025 Formula 1 title fight.

Verstappen has closed to 55 points of championship leader Piastri and 33 points off Norris after the McLaren pair clashed in Austin's sprint race, with both drivers retiring on the spot while Verstappen collected eight points for the win.

With Verstappen and Red Bull now competitive on every circuit, and McLaren's pair not scoring as freely as they did earlier this season and getting caught up in a spate of incidents, Marko is bullish the fight is now on.

"We have to win, so just eight points or three points isn't enough, but let's see, there are still some exciting races to come where the first corner is critical and Max drives easily," Marko told Autosport after Austin's sprint. "We clearly have something to lose, but the pressure isn't on our side and that should also be an advantage."

Asked if the nerves are starting to show on McLaren's side, he replied: "Yes, you can also see it in qualifying that Piastri is making mistakes. And yes, that's good..."

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Zak Mauger / LAT Images via Getty Images

But Marko didn't blame Piastri for his Turn 1 contact with Norris and Nico Hulkenberg, nor did he pin the blame on the German Sauber driver like McLaren's Zak Brown did. He felt Fernando Alonso making it three-wide on the apex played the biggest part of what he called a racing incident.
 
"I think Alonso was more the triggering factor and then it was a chain reaction," he said. "It's the first corner, which invites them to go relatively wide, and I think it's a racing accident and I believe the two McLaren drivers are innocent this time." 

McLaren's first-lap elimination means neither the papaya team nor Red Bull has any clear answers on where their respective race pace would have stacked up, with Verstappen adamant Norris would have been faster as the Dutchman reported excessive rear tyre degradation and car handling issues.

Ahead of grand prix qualifying teams are allowed to make wholesale set-up changes to take them through the rest of the weekend, giving Red Bull a window to improve its race set-up.

"It will be very close again," Marko previewed qualifying. "I still believe that Lando was the fastest man and only Max, with a superb lap, was able to catch him, but now we'll see how much he has shaken the confidence of the McLaren drivers.

"Max is going from strength to strength, so I think the front row is what we can aim for."