Verstappen contradicts Horner: 'This departed key figure does make a difference'

When Christian Horner is asked whether the departure of Adrian Newey (Aston Martin) and Rob Marshall has hurt Red Bull Racing, he denies it. Time and again, the team principal of the Austrian team states that his team has more than enough exceptional people to fill in the gaps left behind by their departure.

Perhaps there are indeed enough brilliant minds left, although recent sporting performances suggest otherwise. However, Max Verstappen realises all too well how important Marshall is. McLaren's Chief Designer is currently proving that much at the papaya outfit. "Yes, I do think he makes a difference there. Since he arrived. That's quite clear," says Verstappen, among others to GPblog, during a conversation with the Dutch media in Saudi Arabia.

Verstappen confirms that Marshall has done so in part with the approach to the McLaren front and rear wings, creating a significant lead over the competition for the Woking-based team. But McLaren is also the prime example of a team that managed to move from the back of the grid all the way to the front in a short time.

This is proof that an F1 team can make a giant leap in development overnight. Realistic for Red Bull? "At this moment, I think, it's not completely realistic to make such a big jump. We are of course trying to find as much time as possible. But it's hard to say how much. Others are not standing still," says Verstappen.