Red Bull Racing Formula One team principal Laurent Mekies has confirmed that the development of the RB21 F1 car is “going to heavily slow down” despite ongoing performance challenges. F1 teams could likely switch entirely from the development of the 2025 car to the 2026 challenger, given the limited time period before the onset of a new era of regulations next year.
Cars being fielded in 2026 will be very different from the current ground effect era challengers. The biggest change lies in the power unit, featuring a 50-50 split between electric power and the internal combustion engine that will run on sustainable fuel. In addition, the front and rear wings will sport active aerodynamics, replacing the F1-exclusive Drag Reduction System (DRS).
However, with F1 teams being allowed to work on their 2026 cars from 1st January 2025, many outfits have balanced the development of the current car and the car that will be on the grid next year. But with 14 out of the 24 races having been ticked off the 2025 calendar, teams are expected to pay more attention to the 2026 car.
Red Bull, which has been experiencing its worst year since 2022, has been facing difficulties in finding the right performance window that could help Max Verstappen contend with the cars on the front row. The recent Hungarian Grand Prix saw the Dutchman finish in P9.
His teammate Yuki Tsunoda has also been struggling to adapt to the RB21, similar to the way Verstappen’s past teammates faced challenges in getting used to the car. The four-time world champion is placed third in the Drivers’ Standings with 187 points, and winning his fifth title is nearly impossible at this stage.
Red Bull is placed fourth in the Constructors’ Championship with 194 points, and with no title in sight this year, Mekies revealed that the RB21 will receive “minimal” upgrades for the remainder of the season, starting from this weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix. He said:
“The season is still very long. Even if car development is going to heavily slow down, or is pretty much going to be minimal from now on, we still have a lot of things we can learn.”
Despite both McLaren drivers, Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, leading the championship with superior performance, Mekies highlighted Red Bull could try and extract further performance without major upgrades, which could help Verstappen push further. He added:
“We accept the fact that we are probably not very strong on a track like [the Hungaroring]. No question, McLaren are faster, but look at Spa, Max was able to fight, certainly on Saturday, and surprise everyone in the sprint.
“If we are able to extract a bit more of the car thanks to weekends like [Hungary], then hopefully we can put a better fight.”
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