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'McLaren only favourites at the moment,' Marko rates Red Bull's chances
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 said afterwards that he does not expect his team to be the favourites for both constructors' and drivers' title in the 2025 season.
Ahead of the previous two seasons, Max Verstappen entered the campaing as a heavy favourite for the title, especially after his dominant performance in 2023. Yet, a fifth title in a row seems to be a little more complicated for the Dutchman, given how rivals caught up to the Austrians over 2024. Red Bull advisor Marko also does not believe Verstappen would be the overwhelming favourite this year.
"You have to say that Lando Norris is the favourite. Obviously, he looked a lot better than Piastri in Bahrain. The main thing is to hope that they take points off each other and that we take advantage of that," Marko explained to Sport1.de, not throwing in the towel either.
'McLaren only favourites for now'
Marko also foreshadows an exciting F1 season, where four teams (McLaren, Ferrari, Red Bull and Mercedes) are hoping to get victories on the board. "If you look at the data from the test days, you have to conclude that McLaren start the season with a lead. That is on both the shorter and long runs," he continued.
However, he also underlined Red Bull are not worried. "We have made a good step. McLaren are only the favourite at the moment," Marko explained, who believes the difference at the moment would be around two tenths a lap.
This article was written in collaboration with Ludo van Denderen
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