Helmut Marko, the top advisor for the Red Bull F1 team, has conceded that the team's chances of winning the constructors' championship are slipping.
Max Verstappen continues to struggle with an uncooperative car, and after Sergio Perez crashed during the Azerbaijan GP, McLaren moved ahead in the constructors' standings, establishing a 20-point lead.
When asked by Sky Deutschland in Baku whether Red Bull's hopes of securing the constructors' championship were fading, Marko responded bluntly, "To be honest, yes."
He went on to say, "Now we have to ensure the drivers' championship remains intact, but we only lost three points here. That's acceptable."
Former Formula 1 driver Ralf Schumacher shares the sentiment, remarking, "I think Red Bull will finish third at best in the team standings if things continue like this." Schumacher added, "Ferrari also have a strong car. It's going to be tough for Red Bull to maintain second place."
Fortunately for Red Bull, Lando Norris had a disastrous qualifying in Baku and finished just ahead of Verstappen in the race, reducing Verstappen's lead to 59 points.
"The positive thing is that (Oscar) Piastri is very close to Lando in terms of points," Marko pointed out. "So whether it's the team or the papaya order, clarity won't come anytime soon."
However, Perez's crash late in the race was a "massive setback for us."
Marko admitted, "We will definitely have the car ready for Singapore, but not in the specification we had planned. The testing we had hoped for in Singapore can no longer go ahead."
Despite the introduction of new floor specifications in Baku, Verstappen was frustrated by a setup change prior to qualifying that, he says, rendered the car nearly impossible to drive.
"It felt very, very bad to me," Verstappen told Viaplay. "I had no pace at all."
He explained further, "In the slow corners, the car was bouncing in every direction, and sometimes one wheel wasn't even touching the ground. It felt like driving a kart, except without any grip."
Verstappen then warned, "Next week in Singapore is also very bumpy, so we need to work out how we can better prepare the car."
Marko revealed that Red Bull is focusing beyond Singapore, looking ahead to the US Grand Prix in Austin, where a significant car upgrade will be introduced. "In Singapore, we'll need to manage as best we can," he said.
He added, "But in Austin, we need to take a step forward, or the drivers' championship could also be at risk. We must find more speed, and the car must be easier to set up."
"We're optimistic that the package we'll bring to Austin will make us much more competitive. Probably even very competitive," said the 81-year-old Austrian.
