Marko warns Monaco may expose Red Bull weakness

Red Bull's resurgence at Imola may be short-lived when Formula 1 arrives in Monaco this weekend, according to team advisor Helmut Marko.

He has warned that Max Verstappen could face a "lot worse" situation on the streets of Monte Carlo.

Verstappen returned to his dominant best at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, executing a stunning overtake on McLaren's Oscar Piastri at the start before cruising to his second victory of the 2024 season.

The performance showcased the effectiveness of Red Bull's recent RB21 upgrades.

"The car is now doing what Max wants again,"

Marko told OE24 following the race.

"That's down to the updates, which have thankfully worked."

The victory proved crucial for Verstappen's championship aspirations, reducing his deficit to championship leader Piastri to 22 points.

But Marko quickly tempered expectations about Red Bull's competitive position going forward.

When asked if Verstappen now had a title-winning car at his disposal again, Marko was notably cautious.

"That was just Imola, things could look very different again at the next Grand Prix," he warned.

Monaco challenges

The unique characteristics of the Monaco street circuit present a stark contrast to Imola's layout, with Marko describing it as "a completely different circuit with only slow corners."

This fundamental difference in track design could significantly impact Red Bull's performance advantage.

"Things could be a lot worse there,"

Marko admitted when discussing Verstappen's prospects for Monaco.

Despite these concerns, Marko acknowledged that Monaco traditionally amplifies driver skill more than any other venue on the calendar.

After witnessing Verstappen's exceptional overtaking maneuver on Piastri at Imola, Marko's belief in his driver's abilities remains unwavering.

"Max proved once again with his manoeuvre at the start that he is the best: only he can recognise the gap and then exploit it," Marko insisted.

Verstappen's perspective

The reigning world champion shares his team's cautious outlook heading into Monaco, where he finished a disappointing sixth last year after previously winning there in 2021 and 2023.

"This track [Imola] has quite a few high-speed corners, which I think our car likes,"

Verstappen explained after his victory.

"I also think we took a step forward with the setup of the car, which helps."

Looking ahead to Monaco, Verstappen echoed Marko's concerns.

"Monaco is, of course, very, very different. So, let's see how we are going to perform there. Last year was very difficult for us. I don't expect it to be a lot easier this time around because there's, of course, a lot of low speed."

Verstappen maintains a pragmatic approach to the upcoming challenge.

"It's just one race on the calendar, where you try to do the best you can.

Even after that, there's a lot of races left, but, of course, you can clearly see that once we go to high-speed tracks and corners, then we are more competitive."