Red Bull given development deadline: 'Otherwise, it'll be too late'

Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko has insisted upgrades to the RB21 must arrive within the next five races to stand any chance of winning a Formula 1 title this year.

The Milton Keynes-based outfit has had a difficult start to the new season, failing to win either of the first two rounds and in the spotlight for the wrong reasons following the decision to drop the struggling Liam Lawson in favour of Yuki Tsunoda.

But Max Verstappen has limited the damage, taking second in Australia and the Chinese GP sprint before finishing fourth in the main race in Shanghai to sit just eight points adrift of championship leader Lando Norris.

McLaren the favourite

But the constructors' championship is a much bleaker sight: McLaren sits on top with 78 points while Red Bull is third with only 36 - Verstappen the only driver to score.

Speaking to Austrian outlet Kleine Zeitung, Marko commended McLaren's performance: “They are just like we were in 2023.

"They have a car that performs in all conditions, in all weathers, and on every circuit. In China, they made mistakes for the first time, especially Lando Norris. But at this moment, McLaren is the absolute favourite with two strong drivers and a strong car.”

On what needs to happen so that Red Bull can challenge McLaren, Marko added: “We need to quickly deliver upgrades that actually work.

"Of course, they come in batches and if something doesn't work, we will have to solve it. But to win the world championship, these improvements must be implemented in the next five races for sure. Otherwise, it will be too late.”

Verstappen title chances: "Nothing to worry about"

Addressing Verstappen's title chances, the Austrian insisted: "With an eight-point deficit after two races, there is actually nothing to worry about.

"Apart from hoping that Norris and Piastri continue to take points from each other, now comes a real 'Verstappen' circuit."

Verstappen has won the past three races at Suzuka and will be hoping to secure his first victory of the season in this weekend's Japanese Grand Prix.