Marko Admits Red Bull and Verstappen's Title Hopes 'Not Looking Good'

Red Bull's Helmut Marko delivered a stark assessment of the team's performance after a dismal São Paulo Grand Prix weekend. For the first time since 2006, both Red Bull cars were eliminated in Q1, leaving Max Verstappen starting 16th and Yuki Tsunoda 19th. This marks Verstappen's first Q1 exit on pure pace in his F1 career, significantly impacting his championship aspirations.

Why it matters:

After a dominant run, Red Bull's sudden and severe drop in performance in São Paulo signals a critical turning point in the championship battle. With Verstappen already 39 points behind leader Lando Norris, a poor result from the back of the grid could effectively end his realistic title hopes, marking a dramatic shift in the 2024 season's narrative.

The details:

• Unprecedented Q1 Elimination: Both Red Bull cars failed to make it out of Q1, a first for the team since 2006. Max Verstappen will start 16th, and Yuki Tsunoda 19th.
• Verstappen's Struggle: This is the first time in Verstappen's F1 career that he failed to exit Q1 based purely on pace, indicating a fundamental issue with the car's performance.
• Setup Gamble Backfires: Red Bull's attempts to tweak the RB21 after the Sprint race compounded their struggles. Marko stated, "It went badly wrong. We got slower everywhere."
• Performance Loss Across Sectors: Marko noted, "The track got faster and we lost time in all sectors... There was actually even less grip. Why? That's what we have to find out now."
• Mexican GP Origin: The team believes the issues trace back to partial upgrades introduced in Mexico that "did not bring the hoped-for success." This suggests a fundamental problem with recent development direction.
• Championship Impact: With a 39-point deficit to Lando Norris before the main race, starting from the back makes a championship comeback increasingly difficult.

The big picture:

Red Bull's current struggles in the Americas rounds, particularly the complete lack of pace in São Paulo, point to a deeper issue beyond simple track conditions or driver error. The team's admission of having "taken the wrong turn" in development, stemming from upgrades in Mexico, suggests a potential misstep in their car's direction. This is a stark contrast to their usual dominance and puts their ability to adapt and recover under intense scrutiny, especially with fierce competition from McLaren and Ferrari.

What's next:

The immediate challenge for Red Bull is damage control in Sunday's race. Starting from the back, a significant points haul is unlikely, further impacting Verstappen's championship standing. Beyond São Paulo, the team faces an urgent need to re-evaluate its development path and understand the root causes of their performance decline. The upcoming races will be crucial in determining if this weekend was an anomaly or the beginning of a sustained challenge to Red Bull's long-held dominance.