'Seems To Work': Helmut Marko Takes A Jibe At McLaren After US GP Sprint Drama

Former Austrian driver and senior Red Bull figure Helmut Marko has taken a cheeky dig at McLaren after both Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris failed to finish the US Grand Prix sprint race following a collision with each other, even as defending world champion Max Verstappen went on to win.

For most of the season till now, the battle for the drivers’ championship has been a two-way contest between Piastri

and Norris.

However, in the past few races, Red Bull has unlocked more performance from the RB21, permitting Verstappen to turn the two-way title battle into a three-way contest.

After Saturday’s US Grand Prix sprint, Verstappen has closed the gap to Piastri by eight points, bringing his tally to 281 compared to the latter’s 336.

Norris is in second

place, having amassed 314 points. “We have to keep pushing and make them (McLaren) nervous, which obviously seems to work,” Marko said after the sprint race on Saturday.

Helmut: “We have to keep pushing and make them (McLaren) nervous, which obviously seems to work!” pic.twitter.com/hM6lIkKJ8s

— Verstappen News (@verstappenews) October 18, 2025

Marko’s team has been the top-performing outfit in the current ground-effect era, despite a few setbacks this season.

This dominance has helped Verstappen bag four successive World Championships. With six GPs left in the season and an in-form Verstappen, McLaren faces a tough challenge in the drivers’ championship.

Meanwhile, Norris kept his composure under pressure on Saturday to claim second place on the grid behind Verstappen in qualifying for Sunday’s US GP.

Under pressure to close Piastri’s 22-point lead in the drivers’ championship, Norris, fastest in Friday’s opening practice, admitted he did not have the pace to defeat Verstappen and bag pole.

“It has been more of a struggle today for whatever reason. Yesterday I was quite comfortable and I don’t know if everyone has improved a bit, or the wind today hurt us a bit more,” Norris said after qualifying.