has admitted that expect to struggle again at the upcoming races in Saudi Arabia and Miami, leaving 's World Championship bid in an uncertain position. Red Bull have been inferior to both McLaren and Mercedes throughout the opening stages of the 2025 campaign, but a surprise win for Verstappen at the Japanese Grand Prix sparked hopes of a true championship battle.

Unfortunately for the four-time world champion, this hope was extinguished in Bahrain last weekend. The Milton Keynes squad had no pace to challenge Oscar Piastri for pole position at the sharp end of the grid, with Verstappen lining up in P7, one place behind fellow title hopeful Lando Norris. In the race, he could only recover to a P6 finish, passing Alpine's Pierre Gasly on the final lap.

Unfortunately for Verstappen, his team are not forecasting light at the end of the tunnel anytime soon. "The races in Jeddah and Miami are going to be really tough for us," Marko told Kleine Zeitung. "If we want to stay competitive in the title fight, we need to secure at least one podium place in the next three races."

The Milton Keynes squad are suffering after their drop in performance after the Japanese GP win. "That hurt," Marko continued. "Falling from a victory back to a midfield position was certainly not our plan. The car lacks balance, which causes the tyres to overheat, and one problem leads to another."

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