Red Bull regains form in Montreal, says Marko

Red Bull may be set for a much stronger Canadian Grand Prix than initially expected, with Helmut Marko declaring the team is back "in the game".

Just days ago, the 82-year-old team advisor had downplayed the team's chances in Montreal, suggesting Max Verstappen would struggle to challenge the McLarens on a circuit that doesn’t suit the Red Bull.

But Friday's track action painted a more hopeful picture. Despite McLaren bringing several upgrades to Canada, both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri struggled to make an impression in the early sessions.

Meanwhile, Mercedes showed signs of a potential breakthrough. Some believe McLaren's dominant 2025 car may be hampered at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve by its higher drag setup, which is usually balanced by efficient cooling elsewhere.

Verstappen, meanwhile, set the fastest time in the opening practice session before falling down the order in FP2.

Even so, Marko was upbeat. "If the car is as good as it was at the beginning, we'll be in the game," he said.

"Strangely, the changes we made didn't have as much of an impact in the long run as they did on one lap. In that respect, we're on a par with Piastri."

Speaking separately, Marko added: "We were about as fast as Piastri, and the tyre wear was also limited. So we are looking forward to the rest of the weekend with optimism. "I think we really are among the fastest."