Two points after 24 Grands Prix and six sprint races: Max Verstappen narrowly missed his fifth Formula 1 title in a row in a duel with McLaren man Lando Norris. The question inevitably arises: When and where did the Dutchman lose the World Cup? The resigned Red Bull chief advisor Helmut Marko gives an answer at sport.de and looks to the coming season with many question marks.
The “miracle” didn’t happen; Max Verstappen didn’t gild the greatest comeback in Formula 1 history with the title in the Drivers’ World Championship.
And yet the 28-year-old has proven once again that – world champion Lando Norris or not – he is the measure of all things Formula 1. “Max is a category above all others, he has proven that again this year with races and maneuvers,” said ex-Red Bull boss Helmut Marko in an interview with RTL/ntv and sport.de.
But: “Without the technology, even the best driver cannot become world champion,” said the Austrian.
Video: Verstappen’s comeback was a “miracle”
Verstappen missed out on his fifth title by two points despite a win at the season finale in Abu Dhabi. A third place in the desert was enough for Norris to win his first World Championship.
Marko: Norris a “worthy world champion” – everything is open in 2026
Of course, no one thought in the summer that the Dutchman would even be involved in the World Cup race. After his home game in Zandvoort in August, Verstappen was 104 points behind the then leader Oscar Piastri.
But after the summer break, Red Bull got the stubborn RB21 better and better into the ominous performance window – Verstappen was suddenly the dominator again, literally leaving the competition in Monza or Baku.
Red Bull and Verstappen clearly lost the 2025 season in the first half of the season. “There were several moments in which we didn’t get the vote right,” Marko recapitulated and named a key negative experience. “The most painful thing was Hungary, where we were completely wrong and Max barely achieved ninth place. I think that was the decisive and most painful result.”
Norris is also a “worthy world champion,” Marko praised the new champion. The Englishman was a long way behind in the McLaren duel with Piastri and made a mistake in Montreal. “But he recovered and mentally drove the best races in the second half, clearly outshining Piastri. Despite all the predictions that he was mentally too weak, he proved that he wasn’t.”
Video: Norris soon to be series champion? Yes but …
When it comes to the balance of power in the 2026 season, Marko is in the dark. The 82-year-old referred to the new engine regulations and the associated aerodynamic changes, especially to the chassis.
“The ground effect has been buried. A lot can be done,” said Marko, who sees Red Bull prepared for the challenge: “We have 2,000 people, exquisite and great employees for Max and I am sure that they will provide Max with a car with which he can hopefully be at the front.”