It was a nightmare weekend in Formula 1 for the Red Bull Racing team, at least up until the eve of the race. Not even the strongest and most dominant driver on the grid was able to push beyond a disappointing eighth place in qualifying—finishing behind even the Sauber driven by Brazilian rookie Gabriel Bortoleto. This result is a direct consequence of the technical characteristics and limitations of the RB21 chassis, a car that has shown a clear intolerance for twisty, complex track layouts such as the one at the Hungaroring. In truth, the RB21 has only demonstrated clear superiority over its rivals during the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix and the Made in Italy event earlier in the season.
The RB21 remained unchanged overnight
This time, the famous “Hungarian night” brought no miracles for Red Bull. The team’s engineers, led by team principal Laurent Mekies, were unable to find the kind of setup compromises that could have significantly improved the performance of the RB21 single-seater. This adaptability has often been one of Red Bull Racing’s key strengths over the past several seasons, but on this occasion, it completely failed them. The third free practice session and the qualifying session were arguably the worst the team has endured in many years. The Austrian cars appeared severely unbalanced, and this lack of balance clearly undermined their performance.
At no point throughout the weekend—regardless of environmental conditions, fuel loads, or tire compounds—did the RB21 show even the slightest signs of being competitive. Similarly, even a driver of the caliber of Max Verstappen, widely regarded as one of the most talented and consistent drivers in the sport, was unable to make up for the massive performance gap observed throughout the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend.
Red Bull’s aerodynamic platform fails at the Hungaroring
Fundamentally, the aero-mechanical platform of the RB21 developed in Milton Keynes simply failed to deliver in the twisty, technical Hungaroring layout. This failure was consistent regardless of the setup configuration used, whether the team tried to balance the car towards low-speed grip or straight-line efficiency. This is troubling news not only for the outcome of today’s race, which is likely to be extremely challenging, but also for the remainder of the 2025 Formula 1 World Championship season. If Red Bull cannot overcome these foundational limitations, more pain may lie ahead.
Max Verstappen avoids drama but accepts the reality
“Resignation” is perhaps not the perfect term to describe Max Verstappen’s mood after qualifying, but his tone made it clear that the Dutch driver has accepted the current limitations of his machinery. The reigning four-time World Champion had already put aside his hopes of contending for the title earlier this year—at a time when many still saw him as a potential challenger. Verstappen admitted he was fortunate to have even made it into Q3, considering that his average position across the weekend’s practice sessions was outside the top ten.
One could easily imagine that, if the rules permitted, Verstappen would be eager to jump into one of the Racing Bulls cars for a direct comparison—especially as he finds himself being chased on the time sheets by reserve drivers such as Isack Hadjar and Liam Lawson. The situation is paradoxical. It even brings to mind the story of Michael Schumacher in 1997, when the Ferrari driver tested the Sauber C16 powered by the Maranello team’s V10 engine during a private session at Fiorano.
Verstappen made it clear that his main goal for the rest of the season is simply to secure a few more solid race results—no longer fighting for the title, but for pride and consistency.
Hungarian GP: more pain awaits for Red Bull
Unless there are dramatic twists of fate or some unexpected circumstances unfold, today’s race is likely to be a struggle—a painful one at that, just as is often the case for those starting from the midfield. It is worth remembering that even in the 2024 Hungarian Grand Prix, the race was far from memorable for Red Bull and is mainly recalled for the collision between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton. If Verstappen, too, begins to falter and can no longer compensate for the car’s weaknesses through sheer talent, then Red Bull Racing risks sinking into mediocrity in the remaining races of the 2025 Formula 1 calendar.
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