Dr Helmut Marko has dismissed concerns over Jos Verstappen's outburst following the Zandvoort race last weekend.

Jos Verstappen, who has been a vocal critic of Christian Horner's management at Red Bull, expressed frustration after his son Max ended up 22 seconds behind Lando Norris in last weekend's Dutch Grand Prix.

"It's time - if it's not already too late - to question themselves," Jos remarked to Bild newspaper.

"I'm very unhappy with what's happening because Max cannot be happy with a car like this. Now it is up to Horner to get the team back on track. I'll be surprised if he does. The whole spirit has to change," he added.

When approached for his view on Jos Verstappen's comments, Red Bull F1 consultant Marko shared with Kronen Zeitung: "Jos is Jos."

"He's just a very emotional guy and he made his statements without a proper analysis. And we shouldn't overestimate that."

"We've had a few unfortunate results recently and were sometimes below our potential," the 81-year-old Austrian continued. "In Zandvoort we had the wrong setup, but of course we clearly feel the pressure. We have to improve and the next updates have to have an effect."

Marko appears to share Jos's sentiment that team principal Horner must now steer the recovery. "Horner has to show his quality as team boss now," he said.

"Sugarcoating things won't help us in this situation. But Horner has also admitted to some mistakes.

"We took a wrong turn somewhere in terms of the balance of the car. But we're not the only ones. It's happened to Ferrari and Mercedes too. Only McLaren was spared. Every (McLaren) upgrade worked.

"We are self-critical, but we have a lot of good people who can turn things around," Marko added.

Championship frontrunner Max, along with teammate Sergio Perez, arrived at Monza on Thursday declaring that Red Bull now at least comprehends the issue with their 2024 car.

Marko remarked: "I think it will be very close here between McLaren, Ferrari, Mercedes and us. And another thing is certain - we will not be beaten as clearly as we were in Holland."

He believes Ferrari could be the top contender for Sunday's victory, but cautioned: "A major update also comes with risk."

On a brighter note, Marko acknowledged that Perez had a much improved performance at the Dutch GP. "If Checo continues like this, we will still have our sights set on the title," he said.

However, Max Verstappen is uncertain if Red Bull's current speed is sufficient to clinch his fourth consecutive drivers' championship, despite the 70-point lead over McLaren's Norris.

"I'm just doing my best to perform optimally with the material I have, but I can't control it," he said.

"We have to become more competitive and then we'll see whether it's enough for the title. Of course I want that. The lead is still big, but if it doesn't work out, it won't turn my life upside down."

Verstappen also voiced his displeasure with Red Bull's ongoing tests on car specifications, as he learns he'll start Monza with an older floor design. "I don't think it will be faster because the other teams have improved their cars in the meantime."

"If we're now downgrading our car in the search for a better balance, I don't think that is what is going to make the car faster," said the 26-year-old Dutchman. body check tags ::