Helmut Marko saw Lando Norris do something ‘sensational’ in the British Grand Prix to end Max Verstappen’s title hopes

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Max Verstappen paid the price in the 2025 British Grand Prix for Red Bull setting his car up for a dry race as Lando Norris of McLaren won his home round at Silverstone.

The Milton Keynes team knew they had to be aggressive with the Dutchman’s set-up for him to have a chance to fight the McLaren teammates Norris and Oscar Piastri at Silverstone. But the 20% chance of rain that Red Bull forecast proved to be 100% more than once in the race.

Verstappen using Red Bull’s low downforce rear wing for the British GP allowed him to score pole position last Saturday. But it then meant the 27-year-old was constantly fighting simply to stay on the road, which let Piastri claim the lead on Lap 8 of 52 and Norris take P2 on L11.

A slow pit stop for Norris would instantly see that Verstappen regained P2. Yet the safety car restart that sparked Piastri’s penalty on L21 of the British GP also destroyed the Dutchman’s day, as Verstappen spun exiting Stowe and fell to P9. The Red Bull racer would recover to P5.

Helmut Marko rules Max Verstappen out for the 2025 F1 title after Lando Norris’ British GP win

Norris inherited the lead of the British GP thanks to Piastri’s penalty, which also ensured the 25-year-old from Bristol won his home race. The Briton also now trails the Australian by just eight points atop the 2025 F1 drivers’ championship and Verstappen is 69 points adrift in P3.

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Red Bull motorsport adviser Helmut Marko is convinced that Verstappen’s deficit is now too large to overcome for the 27-year-old to win his fifth drivers’ title in succession this year. He is clear that it is a two-horse race, given how Norris won the Austrian GP and the British GP.

Marko told OE24 about whether or not Verstappen can bounce back from his disappointing British GP at the Belgian Grand Prix on July 25-27: “It’s possible if the updates we still have in the pipeline take effect. Temperatures and cornering characteristics would also favour us.

“Yes, [Verstappen winning the 2025 Belgian GP is possible], but the world championship is still over. It’s now just between Norris and Piastri, although Norris has made an impressive comeback with two sensational races.”

Max Verstappen paid the price for Red Bull’s dry set-up in the wet-dry-wet-dry British GP

Verstappen branded his Red Bull RB21 ‘undrivable’ during the British GP, with the four-time defending champion rueing his car’s lack of rear downforce. Red Bull pinned his race on the threat of rain not materialising, but are now ruling him out of the 2025 title race as a result.

Marko’s mood would likely have been much happier had Silverstone stayed dry last Sunday, having seen Verstappen score pole for the British GP thanks to Red Bull’s set-up choices. He might have won Sunday’s race in dry conditions thanks to his straight-line speed advantage.

READ MORE: Who is Red Bull motorsport adviser Helmut Marko? Everything to know

Instead, McLaren were in a class of their own, as Piastri opened a 13.565-second lead over Verstappen before the first safety car period due to the standing water around Silverstone. The Australian even opened a 2.518s lead in half a lap until the safety car returned on L18.

Verstappen then spinning at the second safety car restart would ultimately end his chances to fight back. But third place was likely all that was on offer for Verstappen, who eventually took the chequered flag 56.781s behind Norris as the Red Bull star recovered to fifth place.