Red Bull explains reason for delaying new F1 car development
Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies explains the team deliberately prolonged development of its troubled 2025 car to fully understand its flaws, believing the lessons learned are critical for success in the massive 2026 regulation change, where Red Bull will also become a first-time power unit manufacturer.
Red Bull chose to extend development of its underwhelming 2025 car deep into the season to fully diagnose its performance issues, a strategic gamble that ultimately paid off by reviving Max Verstappen's title challenge and providing crucial lessons for the looming 2026 regulation reset.
Why it matters:
With F1's major technical overhaul for 2026 on the horizon, most teams shifted focus early. Red Bull's decision to double down on understanding its current car's flaws—rather than simply abandoning a troubled project—demonstrates a commitment to foundational problem-solving. This approach not only salvaged their 2025 campaign but aims to ensure their tools and processes are robust enough to tackle the unprecedented challenge of becoming a first-time power unit manufacturer.
The details:
- Team Principal Laurent Mekies, who replaced Christian Horner mid-season, stated the team rejected "wishful thinking" that moving directly to the 2026 car would solve their issues.
- The primary goal was not to win races but to diagnose the root cause of the RB21's underperformance, as the same development tools and methodologies would be used for the 2026 project.
- A major floor update introduced at the Italian Grand Prix proved transformative, catalyzing a run of six wins in the final nine races for Verstappen and slashing a 104-point deficit to championship leader Oscar Piastri.
- Mekies emphasized the "huge amount of learning" gained in methodologies, understanding performance limitations, tire management, and simulation correlation—knowledge directly applicable to the new regulations.
The big picture:
Red Bull's 2025 season became a high-stakes diagnostic exercise. While Verstappen fell just two points short of a fifth title to Lando Norris, the team enters the 2026 development cycle with renewed confidence in its people and processes. The challenge ahead is monumental: scaling what rivals like Toto Wolff have called "Mount Everest" as Red Bull Powertrains operates independently for the first time following Honda's departure to Aston Martin. By fixing the RB21, the team believes it has established a stronger, more cohesive foundation from which to launch its 2026 campaign.