Helmut Marko recognises where Adrian Newey could have helped Red Bull in Baku

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Since Adrian Newey announced his intentions to leave Red Bull at the end of the season at the Miami Grand Prix, there has been a clear drop-off in form in the Milton Keynes squad.

Max Verstappen has not won a race since the Spanish Grand Prix in June and he has only finished on the podium once in the last five races.

After the Azerbaijan GP, his championship lead is cut short to just 59 points while Red Bull has now been overtaken by McLaren in the Constructors’ Championship.

Considering Red Bull was leading the title race by over 100 points after the Chinese GP earlier this year, it is one of the most dramatic turnarounds that could see them slip further behind in the final seven races.

Helmut Marko has said Red Bull is no longer focusing on the battle for the Constructors’ title, having also admitted that they are missing Newey’s influence trackside according to AMuS.

Helmut Marko admits Red Bull missing Newey influence on car setup

Verstappen was heard complaining about his car setup throughout most of the race weekend in Baku, branding his RB20 “undrivable” and jumping around in the low-speed corners.

Teammate Sergio Perez offered some hope that their problems could be mitigated, despite the Mexican being known for favouring the Baku Street Circuit because of its mix of 90-degree short corners.

READ MORE: Three reasons why Red Bull face difficult task fixing RB20’s issues without Adrian Newey

But with Newey being a key figure that helps Red Bull both from a strategic and car setup area, according to the report, Marko felt they were missing his influence trackside at Baku.

This is because the car designer can listen to the driver’s feedback and translate it into technical language.

Max Verstappen could trigger ‘top three’ exit clause if struggles continue

Verstappen is likely to be irked by Red Bull’s overall trajectory in the second half of the season having struggled to match their rivals. His last pole came at the Austrian GP while he has only scored a podium twice in seven races including the British and Dutch Grands Prix.

Verstappen has yet to look as comfortable as he did in those two races, while Red Bull’s regular 30-second win margin has now disappeared.

READ MORE: Red Bull driver Max Verstappen’s life outside F1 from net worth to girlfriend

Even though Verstappen’s contract with Red Bull runs out in 2028, there are reportedly a few exit clauses that he could activate.

One of those has been unearthed as a ‘top three’ clause which states that Red Bull must provide Verstappen a car that sees him in the top three of the Drivers’ standings after the first three races of 2025.