Red Bull advisor Dr Helmut Marko believes the 2025 Formula 1 world championship could be nearly decided by the end of the upcoming triple-header, with McLaren's Oscar Piastri leading the charge.
Max Verstappen, the four-time world champion, sits third in the standings behind McLaren's duo. At Imola, Verstappen described McLaren's eight-tenth per lap advantage in Miami as "depressing", especially with Red Bull introducing only a minor upgrade this weekend.
"The new wing regulations, which will come into effect in Barcelona, give us more hope that something will change," Marko told Krone Zeitung. "That race will be decisive."
Mercedes driver George Russell concurred, telling Sky Italia: "There will be a big change there. We cannot catch McLaren if they do not take a step back, if you understand what I mean. It's very clear that they are the kings of the flexible front and rear wings.
"We will see in Spain if something changes in their performance. If it doesn't, we will all have to worry and they will just continue to win."
Within McLaren, championship leader Oscar Piastri has outshone teammate Lando Norris lately, securing four victories in the last five races. "If Piastri wins the next three races, that will definitely be a preliminary decision in the championship," Marko admitted.
"We are currently 32 points behind the leaders with Max, which is quite a lot."
The 82-year-old Austrian praised the Australian's rapid progress, saying: "Piastri has learned incredibly quickly. You could see that in Miami in the duel with Max. Piastri prepares well and is tough in the decisive moments, while Norris is more of a trial-and-error player and doesn't display the same level of consistency."
