Red Bull Racing is taking bold steps to recover from a challenging 2024 Formula 1 season.
While Max Verstappen secured his fourth consecutive Drivers’ Championship, the team’s performance faltered in the Constructors’ standings, slipping to third place. For 2025, Red Bull is laser-focused on creating a car that is more predictable and consistent across a variety of circuits.
Speaking to Sport1.de, Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko confirmed that the team’s engineers are working on a design overhaul to address the flaws that emerged last season. “The task for the engineers was to build a car that has a wider working window” Marko explained. “One that is not so critically on the limit, making it very difficult for the drivers to control.”
Struggles with Development
Red Bull began 2024 as clear favorites for another title double, with Verstappen claiming seven victories in the first ten races. However, mid-season development issues with the RB20’s aerodynamics and handling created severe balance problems. These setbacks left the car unpredictable and difficult to drive, especially in challenging conditions.
Budget cap restrictions also hampered Red Bull’s ability to make significant in-season upgrades. Although the team introduced a package of updates late in the season—helping Verstappen secure his title—it wasn’t enough to reclaim dominance in the Constructors’ Championship.
Marko acknowledged that eliminating these issues is crucial for 2025. “Better predictability is key,” he said. “And if possible, we need to deliver strong performances on all tracks, as McLaren showed last season.”
Fixing the Kerb Problem
One glaring weakness of the RB20 was its inability to handle bumps and kerbs effectively. This problem was starkly highlighted at Monaco, where Verstappen described the car as jumping like a “kangaroo.” Red Bull’s inability to ride kerbs smoothly cost the team precious time on multiple circuits.
Marko is optimistic that this flaw has been addressed in the RB21. “One of our big weaknesses was not being able to drive completely over the kerbs,” he said. “We believe these weaknesses have been fixed, but the real test will come during pre-season testing in Bahrain.”
Eyes on the Prize
With the RB21 nearing completion and heading into final production, Red Bull hopes to reclaim its place at the top of the F1 grid.
Fans and rivals alike will be watching closely as the team unveils its new car and begins its campaign to return to championship-winning form.
