Before the conclusion of the 2025 pre-season test in Bahrain, Red Bull top advisor Helmut Marko already made his way towards the airport. The Austrian doesn’t expect his team to be the favorites for either the constructors’ or drivers’ championships in 2025.
It’s quite a change from recent years.
Max Verstappen entered the previous two seasons as the heavy favorite, especially after his absolutely dominant performance in 2023. But a fifth straight title looks a bit more complicated for the Dutchman now that rivals have caught up to Red Bull over the course of 2024.
Marko doesn’t see Verstappen as the overwhelming favorite this time around.
“You have to say that Lando Norris is the favourite,” Marko told Sport1.de. “Obviously, he looked a lot better than Piastri in Bahrain.”
But the veteran advisor isn’t giving up hope just yet.
“The main thing is to hope that they take points off each other and that we take advantage of that,” he added.
## Four-team battle brewing
Marko predicts an exciting F1 season ahead, with four teams – McLaren, Ferrari, Red Bull and Mercedes – all fighting for victories.
“If you look at the data from the test days, you have to conclude that McLaren start the season with a lead,” he said. “That is on both the shorter and long runs.”
Despite acknowledging McLaren’s current advantage, Marko isn’t hitting the panic button.
“We have made a good step. McLaren are only the favourite at the moment,” he explained.
According to Marko, the gap between the teams is currently around two tenths of a second per lap – close enough to make for some thrilling racing when the season gets underway.
