Formula 1 News: Verstappen 'back in the game' in Canada

(GMM) Max Verstappen is back “in the game” in Canada despite his car being only the 4th fastest on the grid, optimistic team advisor Dr Helmut Marko has declared.

The 82-year-old actually said mere days ago that Max Verstappen had essentially no chance of beating the McLarens this weekend in Montreal.

Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving the (1) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB21 on track during practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Canada at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve on June 13, 2025 in Montreal, Quebec. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool //

But although Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris’ cars feature several updates, they struggled to make an impression in Friday practice – as Mercedes looks set to have a strong weekend.

Some think McLaren’s issue in Canada is the high-drag characteristics of the otherwise dominant 2025 car, perhaps due to its highly efficient cooling layout.

As for Verstappen, he was actually the quickest overall in FP1, before falling back in the later Friday session. “If the car is as good as it was at the beginning, we’ll be in the game,” Marko declared. [Editor’s note: Actually, the car is a sled. Yuki Tsuoda is slow in the other Red Bull. It’s just that Verstappen is carrying the inferior Red Bull sled on his back.]

“Strangely, the changes we made didn’t have as much of an impact in the long run as they did on one lap. In that respect, we’re on a par with Piastri,” he added.

In a separate interview, Marko continued: “We were about as fast as Piastri, and the tire wear was also limited. So we are looking forward to the rest of the weekend with optimism.

“I think we really are among the fastest,” said Marko wearing his rose-colored glasses.