In the fast-paced world of Formula 1, where seconds make the difference between glory and disappointment, Red Bull Racing has made a remarkable comeback. After months of struggling with its RB21 car, initially described as erratic and unpredictable, the Milton Keynes-based team seems to have suddenly found the key to success. Helmut Marko, Red Bull’s legendary advisor, gave a rare candid interview after the Italian Grand Prix in Monza, revealing the reasons for this transformation. His words not only put McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri on edge, but also created an unexpected golden opportunity for Max Verstappen in his quest for a fifth consecutive world title.

Let’s rewind to the start of the 2025 season. The RB21, the successor to the dominant RB20, started promisingly during winter testing in Bahrain. Verstappen, the four-time world champion, clocked impressive lap times and seemed poised to repeat his earlier successes. But the car soon showed its true colors: a narrow operating window, where small adjustments to the setup led to dramatic losses in grip and tire wear. Marko himself described it at the time as a “kangaroo effect,” referring to the car’s unruly jumps over curbs at circuits like Monaco. In the opening races, McLaren dominated decisively. Norris and Piastri took the first three victories, while Verstappen struggled in Bahrain and China with a car that refused to respond to dry conditions. Red Bull dropped to fourth in the Constructors’ Championship, 288 points behind the Woking team.

The frustration within the team was palpable. Christian Horner, the longtime team principal, saw his position falter after a string of disappointing results. In Austria, during Red Bull’s home race, Verstappen only finished seventh in qualifying, despite a new floor upgrade intended to improve aerodynamic stability. Marko admitted that the changes to the floor and the edge wing offered hope, but nothing more: “It’s not a big step, but the direction gives us hope.” The gap to McLaren was still four-tenths per lap, and speculation about Verstappen’s future—including rumors of a move to Mercedes—flared. Marko calmed the panic by stating that Verstappen would stay as long as the car was competitive, but internally, alarm bells were ringing.

The breakthrough came unexpectedly in the run-up to the European races. After the British Grand Prix, where rain prevented Verstappen’s pole position from turning into a victory due to an unstable setup, Red Bull intervened with a shift in philosophy. Under the impetus of new team principal Laurent Mekies, who replaced Horner after Silverstone, the approach during Friday practice was radically altered. Where Red Bull previously muted the engines to save fuel, Mekies now ran them flat out. “We’re no longer going to treat practice as a formality,” Marko explained in a De Telegraaf podcast. This shift, inspired by McLaren’s aggressive strategy, yielded immediate results. In Imola, with further tweaks to the radiator and sidepods, Verstappen cruised to victory, though McLaren remained four-tenths ahead in outright speed.

But the real breakthrough came at Monza. At the Italian Grand Prix, a circuit where Red Bull had experienced one of its worst weekends a year earlier, the RB21 showed its new face. Verstappen took pole position and pulled away from the field, finishing 19.2 seconds ahead of Norris. Marko was euphoric: “This is a rebirth. We’ve finally made the car compliant, with a wider operating window that no longer reacts to the slightest changes in temperature or setup.” The key? A revised floor with improved airflow stability and a reduced beam wing, combined with the full engine output in practice. “Sometimes you lose the tires completely because of a small temperature fluctuation,” Marko explained. “Now we’ve solved that. The updates work, and Max can do the rest.”

This sudden unbeatability has put McLaren on edge. Norris, who leads the championship by a narrow margin over Piastri, admitted after Monza: “We have to be vigilant. Red Bull seems to have found their mojo again.” Piastri, who triumphed in Silverstone, called the 20-second gap “alarming” and pointed to the upcoming Azerbaijan Grand Prix as a crucial test. McLaren, which won the 2024 Constructors’ Championship with flying colors, is feeling the heat on its neck. Their MCL39 is still superior in outright pace, but Red Bull’s consistency—now finally wider and more predictable—is making the difference on circuits with high speeds and kerbs.

For Verstappen, who now leads George Russell by 36 points and hovers in the top three of the championship, this is a golden opportunity. With six races remaining, including his home race at Zandvoort and the decisive clashes at Spa and Abu Dhabi, he can extend his lead. However, Marko warns against overconfidence: “Anything is possible now, but we have to stay alert. McLaren is still the benchmark.” Nevertheless, optimism radiates from the Red Bull camp. The Austrian, known for his sharp wit, concluded with a wink: “Max is unbeatable if the car allows it. And now it allows it.”

This turnaround is not only a technical success, but also a lesson in resilience. Red Bull has listened to Verstappen’s feedback on the “kangaroo jumps” and built a car that performs on all tracks, just as McLaren did in 2024. While rivals are wary, a fifth title beckons for Verstappen – a possibility that seemed unthinkable just weeks ago. In Formula 1, where innovation and adaptation reign supreme, this proves that no season is ever lost until the flag drops.