Max Verstappen is facing a nervy run until the end of the season (Image: Getty)
has provided a concerning assessment of the difference between and at the Singapore Grand Prix, labelling the driver’s pace as ‘alien’ and confessing that his star driver couldn’t have got near the Brit, even if the RB20 was ‘optimised’.
Norris crossed the line in Singapore over 20 seconds ahead of Verstappen, and in truth that margin could have been closer to 30 and beyond if the Brit hadn’t eased off during his final stint to bring the MCL38 over the line.
Only ’s final-lap heroics stripped Norris of the fastest lap point and a first-career Grand Chelem. Verstappen was classified in second place – a strong result in isolation, but the gap to his title rival was alarming, to say the least.
The two championship protagonists are now separated by 52 points with six events remaining in 2024, setting up a grandstand finale with the current rate of scoring trending towards a winner-takes-all shootout in Abu Dhabi, not too dissimilar to 2021.
Speaking to about the gap between the duo in Singapore, Marko said: “Well, that Lando’s dominance is alien, especially on medium tyres – he took nine-tenths to one second per lap from us. Even if our car had been, let’s say, optimised, he couldn’t have driven those times on the medium. And we’re all wondering how he did it.
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Helmut Marko is concerned about the pace Red Bull are demonstrating (Image: Getty)
“When Norris takes nine-tenths to one second per lap from us, then it’s a whole new world. And don’t forget, in the second stint, [Charles] Leclerc was just as fast as Lando or almost a bit faster. So for us, I would almost say that second place was like a victory.”
’s hopes of recovering performance relative to are pinned on the upcoming United States Grand Prix. The team introduced a new floor in Singapore and will bolt on a major upgrade package in Austin as they look to reel Norris back in.
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“They have worked very, very hard and have gained certain insights,” Marko continued. “It wasn’t a completely new floor, but parts of it were new. But I think the deciding factor will be performance in Austin, and there are a lot of other things coming.”
While Verstappen still has a chance to hold off Norris for a fourth Drivers’ Championship title, ’s hopes of retaining the Constructors’ Championship look slim. The Milton Keynes-based team are now 41 points behind , meaning they are closer to third-placed than they are to the leaders.