Schumacher expecting little change between McLaren and Red Bull: 'They can't perform magic'

At the recent Miami Grand Prix, Max Verstappen surprisingly started from pole position, his third in six Grands Prix after a stunning lap.

However, McLaren proved much faster during the race, with Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris overtaking the Dutchman to then race away from the rest of the grid, taking a fine one-two finish to extend their lead in the constructors' championship, while Verstappen could only finish P4.

The Emilia Romagna Grand Prix is next up on the calendar, and there are expected upgrades for Red Bull, even though Verstappen was reluctant to reveal much about them.

For the upcoming race around the famous Imola circuit, even with these updates to the RB21, Schumacher does not expect to see much change at the front of the grid.

"I can't imagine it. The gap to the front is so big, they can't perform magic," the German said while speaking to the Sky Sports Germany cameras.

"I really don't have the imagination for it. I'm rooting for them, but I just really can't imagine it."

Verstappen previously explained the difference between McLaren and Red Bull: "I think it's not just about the pure performance of the car, but also about the incredible tire management they have."

As a result of McLaren's one-two in Miami, the papaya-coloured team already have a gap of over 100 points in the constructors' standings, sitting on 246 points, 105 clear of Mercedes in second place, while Red Bull sit third with 105.

Thanks to Piastri's fourth win in 2025, he now leads the championship with 131 points, with Norris second on 115 points, while Verstappen sits 16 points away from the Brit on 99 points.