Dr Helmut Marko, Red Bull's advisor, has candidly admitted that Max Verstappen's pursuit of a fifth consecutive Formula 1 world championship is growing "unrealistic."
Speaking at Imola, Marko described the team's latest car upgrades as a modest improvement but ultimately "disappointing." Verstappen echoed the sentiment after Friday practice, stating: "The McLaren overtook me and drove away. That says it all."
Marko noted that while the Imola updates resolved the car's understeer issues, new challenges emerged. "We have a fundamental problem," the Austrian explained. "We lost four tenths to the McLarens. Around this circuit, that's a lot.
"And in the race, the McLarens still seem to be in a class of their own again. The World Championship is becoming increasingly unrealistic."
This setback poses a significant concern for Red Bull, particularly with Verstappen's performance-based exit clauses approaching for the summer break period. Jos Verstappen, Max's father and co-manager, expressed frustration, telling Racexpress: "At the start of the season they shouted loudly that something would happen at Imola.
"It's absolutely important that it starts to go in the right direction a little now, because otherwise the gap will simply become too big. Then it won't work out this year."
As McLaren's ongoing dominance becomes apparent, rival teams may shift full focus to the transformative 2026 regulations. Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur, however, stressed the importance of maintaining competitiveness in 2025.
"It's very important to stay competitive this season," he said, "because it's precisely when you're fighting for something that you pay attention to the details.
"Some may think my perspective is wrong, but I can't imagine how a group of 1000 people can maintain the same motivation if they've essentially given up on a season."
Meanwhile, significant upgrades were evident across the pitlane garages, with Aston Martin potentially making the most substantial leap.
Their lead driver, Fernando Alonso, has yet to score a point in 2025. Williams team boss James Vowles commented to El Mundo Deportivo: "Aston Martin has a huge update here. I think it's a new car, almost."
