Racing Bulls: independence from Red Bull propels them into midfield prominence
After a debut season in Formula 1 where Racing Bulls largely operated in the technical shadow of Red Bull, the 2025 season marked a significant step forward for the Faenza-based team. Racing Bulls ended the season as a force within the midfield, finishing sixth overall, just behind Williams. The VCARB02 represents a deliberate shift in philosophy: a move away from the path traced by Red Bull to pursue a more independent project, even while maintaining some technical synergies. As in the previous season, driver changes were minimal, with only one adjustment during the year: the swap between Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson. Lawson began the 2025 season alongside Max Verstappen at Red Bull but returned to Faenza after just two Grands Prix. The real revelation of the year, however, was rookie Isack Hadjar. Coming from Formula 2, Hadjar had a challenging start but quickly demonstrated his talent, achieving the team’s first podium in the Netherlands—the only podium for Racing Bulls in 2025. Consistency was also a highlight, with both drivers scoring points in 17 of 24 races, while Isack Hadjar’s third place and fourth in qualifying at Zandvoort were the team’s standout results.
VCARB02: a car designed for adaptability and driver-friendliness
Racing Bulls’ decision to distance itself from Red Bull allowed the VCARB02 to be more manageable for both drivers, unlike the RB21, which had an extremely narrow operating window suited only to Max Verstappen’s aggressive driving style. In Faenza, the team selectively adopted concepts from Milton Keynes, adapting them to their own needs, including suspension designs derived from the RB19 with a front pull-rod and rear push-rod layout. Red Bull inspiration is also evident in the design of the sidepods and radiator inlets, reworked to create a broader operating window. Regarding power units, 2025 marked the final year of the team’s partnership with Honda, with the switch to Red Bull-Ford engines set for 2026. In summary, the VCARB02 proved highly competitive in qualifying, often appearing as the fifth-fastest car on the grid, though it faced more challenges in race conditions, particularly in tyre management and maintaining long-run pace. Key strengths included excellent traction in low-speed corners and stability under heavy braking, while high track temperatures revealed the car’s sensitivity as a weakness.
Early season challenges and the Barcelona upgrade
The season began dramatically for Racing Bulls with Hadjar’s crash in Australia, where he went off at the end of Turn 2 during the reconnaissance lap, forcing a retirement before the race even started. The rookie lost control while trying to heat his tyres, spinning due to unexpected oversteer. In the other garage, Yuki Tsunoda finished 12th, outside the points. From the very first races, it became clear that the VCARB02 excelled in one-lap pace but struggled during full race distances. Albert Park, in particular, was heavily affected by tyre degradation due to intermittent rain.
After this difficult debut, Racing Bulls began unlocking the car’s potential, doing so faster than Red Bull, whose cars required precise setups and extreme driving skills to perform. The first points came during the Asian leg: Yuki Tsunoda scored 3 points in China and 4 in Japan, pleasing the local fans. Both drivers confirmed the team’s status as the fifth or sixth fastest on the grid. The hot conditions in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Miami exposed some weaknesses, with only a single point earned in Jeddah. At Imola, a new hydraulic component was introduced to stabilize the car. From the first Italian weekend onwards, driver performance improved as the VCARB02 became easier to manage compared to Verstappen’s RB21 and Tsunoda, who continued to face bouncing issues. A highlight came at the Monaco Grand Prix, where Isack Hadjar finished sixth, using the VCARB02’s strengths in slow-speed corners to his advantage.
Mid-season progress and first podium in the Netherlands
Between Australia and Monaco, Racing Bulls consistently ranked as the third-strongest team among midfield contenders, behind Williams and Haas. Early in the season, the VCARB02 exhibited slight but noticeable bouncing in high-speed corners, which the team worked to correct. On medium- and high-speed circuits, the gap to other midfield teams increased to just over two tenths in qualifying, compared to only 0.08 seconds on slower, twistier tracks. In races, Racing Bulls consistently outpaced Aston Martin and Alpine, while remaining slightly behind Williams by just over a tenth. Similarly, in qualifying, the VCARB02 regularly showed two-tenths advantage over the midfield average.
The pivotal Barcelona weekend saw the introduction of Technical Directive 018, aimed at limiting front wing flex. Racing Bulls adapted the front wing to avoid losing downforce while maintaining balance between straights and high-speed corners. The team also introduced the season’s most visible upgrade to manage rear airflow: the sidepods were reshaped with a deeper lower section to channel air more efficiently to the diffuser, and the radiator inlet was narrowed, inspired by Red Bull’s design, to improve aerodynamic efficiency and reduce drag. The immediate result was overtaking Haas in the Constructors’ Championship, consolidating sixth place overall.
This mid-season phase was Racing Bulls’ most competitive period. Both drivers frequently outperformed Williams in race pace by just over a tenth and secured the team’s first podium in Formula 1 since 2021 at Zandvoort. Although the team was the fastest in the midfield, the advantage over other teams narrowed to slightly more than a tenth as rivals such as Haas and Aston Martin introduced upgrades. In qualifying, Racing Bulls remained highly effective, especially in a tight fight with Aston Martin, which was just two-thousandths behind Williams, while Faenza trailed by 0.019 seconds. Hadjar and Lawson maximized the car’s potential, particularly on medium- to high-downforce circuits, with the VCARB02 typically two-tenths faster than the average of the other nine teams. On low-downforce tracks, like Monza, the car’s top-speed limitations became apparent. Isack Hadjar staged a remarkable recovery to finish 10th after a difficult qualifying session relegated him to the back of the grid, while Lawson’s aggressive pit strategy failed, leaving him 14th.
Isack Hadjar’s podium in the Netherlands represented the peak of Racing Bulls’ 2025 season. A fully redesigned floor with flexible “curbs” ensured consistent downforce even in variable-radius corners. This upgrade improved corner stability, allowing the rookie to fend off attacks from George Russell and secure his first F1 podium.
End-of-season performance
Following a strong mid-season, Racing Bulls experienced a decline in the latter part of the year, particularly in race pace, as Haas and Aston Martin overtook them. The gap to Grove-based teams expanded to more than two-tenths, while the midfield average advantage dropped to slightly over four-tenths. Despite an encouraging fifth-place finish for Lawson in Baku, the performance slide became apparent from Singapore to Interlagos due to engine issues and high temperatures. The VCARB02 began suffering aerodynamic instability, echoing problems Red Bull faced. Competitors targeting sixth in the Constructors’ Championship strengthened through effective upgrades, reducing Racing Bulls’ margin.
Faenza addressed these challenges in Brazil, introducing aerodynamic modifications to improve straight-line efficiency and defend against Aston Martin. Updates included a quicker DRS rear wing, a single-profile beam wing, and replacing the “bazooka” engine cover with a tightly fitted bodywork solution. The final goal was maintaining the sixth spot in the Constructors’ standings, which the team achieved, although the last races left some disappointment. In Qatar, Hadjar retired due to mechanical failure, while both drivers failed to score in Abu Dhabi, being lapped by the leaders.
Despite race setbacks, qualifying remained consistent throughout the season, with Racing Bulls frequently outpacing Haas and Aston Martin. Although Williams improved on single-lap pace, Faenza remained just 0.047 seconds behind.
Driver comparison: Hadjar vs Lawson
The Racing Bulls driver lineup included Yuki Tsunoda, Isack Hadjar, and Liam Lawson. Initially, Tsunoda and Hadjar started in Melbourne, with Lawson temporarily at Red Bull alongside Max Verstappen. After two races, Lawson returned to Faenza and the team settled on Hadjar and Lawson for the remainder of the season. Over 22 races together, Hadjar consistently outperformed Lawson, finishing ahead 10 times and averaging over a tenth faster per race.
After a challenging adaptation period to F1 car handling and race weekend management, Hadjar’s peak came post-summer break, securing the podium in the Netherlands. Between Suzuka and Budapest, race comparisons were close, with Hadjar ahead 5-4 and a 48-millisecond advantage, while points were nearly equal (22 for Hadjar, 20 for Lawson). From Zandvoort to Abu Dhabi, Hadjar widened his advantage to 0.13 seconds on average and outscored Lawson 29 to 18, despite Lawson having four DNFs compared to Hadjar’s two (plus Australia’s non-start). Technical issues, like at Spa, occasionally hampered Hadjar’s pace.
Qualifying mirrored these trends. Hadjar led 17 sessions and averaged 0.14 seconds faster than Lawson. The first half of the season showed a balanced duel (9-3) with just over a tenth gap. Post-Zandvoort, Hadjar strengthened his lead to 0.18 seconds on average (8-2). Lawson only outperformed Hadjar in exceptional cases, such as Hadjar’s DNF in Austin or Las Vegas rain. Differences were also track-dependent: on circuits with more slow corners, Lawson lagged almost two-tenths, while on fast circuits the gap dropped below a tenth, highlighting his relative struggle in low-speed sections compared to Hadjar, similar to what was observed in comparisons with Max Verstappen.
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