Red Bull Formula 1 advisor Helmut Marko has revealed a huge blow to the team despite Max Verstappen’s championship victory at the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
However, a victory in the constructors’ championship has now officially eluded Red Bull this season, with it now impossible for the reigning champions to improve on third place where they currently sit behind Ferrari and McLaren.
The final race in Abu Dhabi will be a shootout between the papaya team and the Scuderia with just 21 points now separating them, whereas Red Bull have now been eliminated from the fight following a DNF for Sergio Perez in Qatar last time out.
What does losing the constructors’ mean for Red Bull?
Whilst the performance of Red Bull has declined in 2024, Verstappen has managed to extract the most out of the RB20, whereas his team-mate Perez has suffered a series of woeful results.
Over the past five grand prix weekends, Perez has only earned eight points for the team, which is less than Haas star Nico Hulkenberg who has snatched 13 points.
Not only have Red Bull now failed to continue their run of securing the double in the championships, but their third-place finish in the constructors’ will also hand them a major blow according to Marko.
Speaking after the Las Vegas GP, the 81-year-old team advisor revealed that Red Bull’s position in the championship will impact their employees’ bonuses despite winning the drivers’ championship with Verstappen.
"We have to have two drivers who finish in the points. I think Max is more than 200 points ahead of Sergio,” Marko said to DAZN.
"The main thing for Max was to win the championship now, but for our employees, it is a disappointment because their bonus depends on our position in the constructors' championship and there is no realistic chance of winning it.”
After the Qatar Grand Prix, Perez currently stands 277 points behind Verstappen.