Helmut Marko’s latest Sergio Perez u-turn highlights just how bad Red Bull’s 2025 F1 car problems really are

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Red Bull’s somewhat shocking start to the 2025 F1 campaign has helped to pain Sergio Perez in a far more positive light after he struggled with the team.

The general consensus up and down the paddock was that Perez was the main issue with the Milton Keynes-based outfit’s failed constructors’ championship challenge in 2024.

After replacing him with Liam Lawson, who failed to qualify higher than 18th in three sessions before being demoted, it’s clear that the problem is a Red Bull one, rather than anything to do with their drivers.

Their car has been crafted to favour Max Verstappen way too much, to the extent that it is now impossible for anyone else to drive. No matter who Helmut Marko and Christian Horner put in the car, there appears to be no solution.

Perez may have contributed to Lawson’s Red Bull issues by offering poor feedback last season, but at least he managed to score points.

It shows that maybe the Mexican wasn’t past his best. Perez’s talks for a 2026 F1 seat with Cadillac are ‘progressing’, and his comeback may be confirmed if Yuki Tsunoda struggles to match his performance at Red Bull.

READ MORE: Helmut Marko once delivered a brutal verdict on Sergio Perez in F3 before signing him for Red Bull

Helmut Marko’s Sergio Perez’s u-turn shows how bad Red Bull’s 2025 F1 car situation is

Just a few short months ago, at the end of December, Marko could be heard mentioning how Perez’s career with Red Bull couldn’t continue due to his performance.

“He kept hoping that he would find his way back to his old form, but unfortunately that didn’t happen,” he told Sport.de.

“And then he realised that a resurrection was not possible for him in this environment and that a separation was the best thing.”

Now he has made a u-turn on comments just four months after saying that Perez couldn’t continue. He believes that a Formula 1 comeback is possible for the 35-year-old.

“If he has recovered from the pressure of Verstappen and is highly motivated, then yes. He’s extremely popular in Latin America, which is something else to keep in mind,” he told Kleine Zeitung.

“I just spoke to him on the phone, and he’s in good spirits and enjoying life. They’ll probably need an experienced driver.”

Maybe the Austrian has realised that Perez actually did an acceptable job in their car given the circumstances. That he may be better than what they have now.

READ MORE: Sergio Perez’s father accuses Lawrence Stroll of ‘betrayal’ after Aston Martin’s F1 seat decision, ‘wow’

Why Helmut Marko’s Serio Perez comments show that Red Bull’s 2025 F1 car is in bad shape

If Lawson couldn’t match the pace or results of Perez, coming into the team as a highly touted prospect, then their car must be worse than feared.

A true test of the situation will be when Yuki Tsunoda steps into the cockpit at the Japanese Grand Prix. If he fails to achieve any points, the answer to the problem is clear.

The team has to completely overhaul their car if they want both drivers to be competitive in 2025. Otherwise, the 2026 F1 regulations are arriving at a very good time.

The problem with investing in this season’s car is that it will bring very short-term gains. There isn’t much point unless they seriously consider themselves as double title contenders.