Red Bull motorsport adviser Helmut Marko vowed to keep fighting for the Formula One title as long as it remains mathematically possible for Max Verstappen, despite Christian Horner’s recent dismissal as team principal.
Following Horner’s 20-year tenure and the appointment of Laurent Mekies, Marko quickly shut down speculation that the team is already shifting focus to 2026.
“With 12 races left, we will continue to push for the drivers’ championship as long as it’s mathematically within reach,” Marko said in a statement.
This comes after Verstappen, currently third and 69 points behind the leader, appeared pessimistic about his title defense. Just last month, Marko told Austrian TV the team might have to “write off” the championship if performance didn’t improve.
There was no mention Thursday of the constructors’ standings, where Red Bull is far adrift of McLaren.
Turning around a disappointing season is just one of many urgent demands facing Mekies on his first full day as Red Bull’s new team principal.
The defending champion last week refused to commit to staying with Red Bull for 2026, even while Horner claimed Verstappen’s “intention is that he will be there.”
It likely will become clearer in the coming weeks whether Horner’s departure has made Verstappen more willing to stay.
If Verstappen leaves, it would likely be for rival Mercedes. Losing its star driver relatively late in 2025 could hamper Red Bull’s development work for next year, and few experienced options are available.
The two sides of the Red Bull garage seem like different teams.
Verstappen has scored 165 of Red Bull’s 172 points this year despite frequent complaints about the car.
For anyone else, it seems undriveable.
The last Red Bull podium for a driver other than Verstappen was in April 2024. The last win came in April 2023.
Last week, Horner said Verstappen’s teammate Yuki Tsunoda would be given the rest of the season to show what he can do. Whatever happens, Mekies has to choose who will fill that seat for 2026.
One option is Isack Hadjar, the impressive rookie at Red Bull’s junior team, Red Bull Racing Bulls. However, Mekies was at Racing Bulls when Liam Lawson was first promoted, then sent back down with shattered confidence.
Getting the best out of Red Bull means dealing with its internal politics.
In his previous role with Racing Bulls, Mekies worked with 82-year-old Marko, who is employed by Red Bull’s parent company and oversees both of its F1 teams. The Austrian is influential, but his authority and position are vaguely defined.
Another influential figure who isn’t a team employee is Jos Verstappen. The star driver’s father is a regular presence in the paddock and wasn’t afraid to criticize Horner in public.
Since Red Bull co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz’s death in 2022, the parent company’s shareholders in Thailand have shaped the team’s direction. They’re rarely seen at races and avoid commenting publicly.
The most sweeping changes to F1 cars in a generation could reshape the sport.
Red Bull aced the last big regulation change in 2022 with a car designed by Adrian Newey. He left last year for Aston Martin, an ambitious team that has been planning for this moment for years. It’s just one of several rivals with their eyes on Red Bull’s place as a title challenger.
Mekies will need to quickly grasp Red Bull’s plans for 2026 and a major expansion of its in-house engine production program, which includes Ford returning to F1 next year as Red Bull’s partner.
