Oct.7 (GMM) Red Bull has decided to keep upgrading its 2025 car as Max Verstappen’s slim championship hopes remain alive – even if it means compromising the team’s 2026 project.
Team boss Laurent Mekies confirmed in Singapore that Red Bull will continue refining the RB21 through the remaining races, while rivals like McLaren have already halted development to focus entirely on the new regulations.
“It was crucial for Red Bull to understand whether the car has more potential and to discover how to extract it,” Mekies said.
“Next year’s regulations will be completely different, but we’ll be working with the same tools and the same approach, and it’s crucial that we ensure the data we’re using is accurate with this year’s car.”
The Italian conceded that this strategy carries a cost. “That performance also gives us confidence going into the winter for next year’s car,” he said. “Of course, we’ll undoubtedly pay a price for this with the 2026 project.
“We feel this is the right balance for us, without looking at the other teams.”
McLaren, by contrast, has ended all 2025 work. “No time,” Lando Norris said after Singapore, where he failed to catch Verstappen, when asked if the team will now rush through some upgrades.
“We’ve stopped with this car and we’re already deep into the next project.”
Red Bull’s 2026 prospects were already uncertain, with the Milton Keynes outfit developing its own power unit in partnership with Ford – a bold move even team insiders admit may leave the team behind early in the next hybrid era.
Still, Verstappen’s third consecutive podium, including two wins, has revived belief that the late-season push is worth the risk. Mekies also said the Dutchman’s balance and gearbox issues in Singapore were minor setbacks. “There are a few things we need to work on because Max had a few problems during the race,” he explained.
“I would like to emphasise that these aren’t major issues.”
La Gazzetta dello Sport summed up Red Bull and Verstappen’s task bluntly: “It will be difficult, almost impossible, with six races remaining, but the situation is lively enough to make this final sprint of the season worthwhile.”
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