Marko confirms 'new parts' will be at Imola but wonders if Red Bull will be 'closer to McLaren' with them

Over the past weeks, Red Bull Racing introduced the first new updates for the 2025 season, starting at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix with a modified engine cover to improve cooling. At the Miami Grand Prix, the Austrian team brought updates, introducing two new parts on the floor.

However, there was not much that either Max Verstappen or Yuki Tsunoda were able to do on Sunday during the Grand Prix. The Dutchman took another stunning pole position, but the pack of pace from the RB21 meant he could not make the podium, while Tsunoda finished in P10.

In Imola, there will be even more updates on Verstappen's car, with the Austrian team also looking attentively at the Spanish Grand Prix, with the 'flexi-wings' rule coming into play. McLaren are often mentioned as a team that benefits from the current regulations around the flexible front wing.

When asked by Oe24 what suggests the performance will improve in Imola, Marko responded: "That we have new parts. The question is whether this will bring us closer to McLaren.

"They have an incredible car, very powerful in its complexity. We have to be honest, Max only got pole position [in Miami] because both McLaren drivers and Antonelli in the Mercedes made mistakes in their last attempt," continued the 81-year-old.

An improvement for Red Bull will be needed very quickly if they are to give Verstappen a chance to seal his fifth consecutive world title. The Dutchman currently sits P3 in the drivers' standings on 99 points, 32 points away from championship leader Oscar Piastri. In the constructors' standings, Red Bull sits in P3 with 105 points, 141 points away from McLaren in P1.