Helmut Marko confirmed after the Spa-Francorchamps Grand Prix that Red Bull Racing will introduce additional upgrades at the upcoming Hungarian Grand Prix. The team, led by Team Principal Laurent Mekies, continues to push hard in an effort to deliver an improved RB21 racing car for Max Verstappen.
Red Bull recently experienced its second consecutive race outside the podium—a relatively rare event in recent years—especially considering that Milton Keynes has been effectively running with only one leading driver for some time now.
Max Verstappen finished fourth at the Belgian Grand Prix, a result that somewhat dampened the satisfaction from winning Saturday’s Sprint Race ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.
Throughout most of the race, the Dutch driver remained close behind Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, but he never had the necessary pace or opportunity to overtake the number 16 SF-25. The two cars’ differing setups—Verstappen’s RB21 number 1 was running with a higher downforce configuration—forced Max to remain behind the Monegasque driver.
While at Spa the missed podium was largely due to setup choices rather than other factors, it is also true that McLaren’s cars pulled away by more than 20 seconds from the rest of the field, including Red Bull.
At the Belgian Grand Prix, the team now managed by Laurent Mekies debuted a package of upgrades that included a redesigned front suspension arm and changes aimed at increasing airflow to improve cooling. Previously, at Silverstone, Red Bull had introduced a new floor and front wing.
These developments helped the RB21 make progress, but the improvements have not yet met the expectations of the team or Max Verstappen. The car continues to struggle with balance issues that negatively impact its race performance.
“Max said that the upgrades brought to Spa were a step forward, but they did not fix the balance problems he experienced, and I think he is right,” Helmut Marko said at the conclusion of the Spa-Francorchamps weekend.
McLaren has long secured the Constructors’ Championship and the Drivers’ title battle is shaping into a close internal duel, leaving little room for others to interfere. Nevertheless, at Milton Keynes, Red Bull is still pushing hard to solve the chronic issues affecting their 2025 car. This is why another upgrade package is expected to arrive in Budapest, specifically designed to alleviate the problems plaguing the Anglo-Austrian team’s car.
“Fixing the balance seems to be a complex exercise, but we are not giving up; we are still working on it. We will bring something new to Budapest as well,” Marko confirmed. It is too early to say exactly what these upgrades will involve, but Red Bull’s commitment is clear: they need to convince Max Verstappen to stay, and it is crucial to act immediately before rival teams play their cards starting in 2026.
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