Laurent Mekies, the new team principal of Red Bull Racing, has clarified the future plans for the RB21, while the Milton Keynes-based team prepares for a new technical challenge in partnership with Ford.
Red Bull will approach the second half of the 2025 Formula 1 season without major updates to its RB21 chassis. Laurent Mekies confirmed that the car driven by Max Verstappen and Yuki Tsunoda will only receive “minimal” interventions from now until the end of the season.
This decision comes at a delicate moment for the Milton Keynes outfit, currently fourth in the Constructors’ Championship, more than 40 points behind Mercedes. Unlike 2024, when Verstappen built an early and unassailable advantage, this season Red Bull has proven much harder to understand. Despite scoring two wins, the RB21 has shown inconsistencies, as highlighted by the disappointing Hungarian Grand Prix weekend, which ended with Verstappen in ninth and Tsunoda in seventeenth place.
“The season is still very long,” Mekies stated. “Even if car development slows drastically, or becomes practically minimal from now on, there is still a lot we can learn.”
Mekies acknowledged the difficulties encountered in Budapest but remained optimistic: “We accept the fact that we were probably not very competitive on a track like the Hungaroring. There is no doubt, McLaren was faster, but look at Spa: Max was able to fight, especially on Saturday, surprising everyone in the sprint. If we can extract a bit more performance from the car thanks to weekends like Hungary, then we hope to offer a better battle.”
Focus on 2026 and the new project with Ford
Like many other teams on the grid, Red Bull has already shifted focus to the 2026 project, when new technical regulations come into force. However, in addition to developing a car compliant with the new rules, Red Bull faces another challenge: the team is preparing to become a power unit manufacturer in collaboration with Ford starting from 2026.
The partnership between Red Bull and the American automotive giant, initially focused solely on hybrid systems and batteries, has now expanded. Ford Motorsport director Mark Rushbrook explained:
“We wanted to acquire knowledge on electrification: battery cell chemistry, motors, inverters, calibration, control, and how everything interacts with the internal combustion engine. We wanted to learn how to optimize fuel efficiency. Initially, we did not want to be so involved in combustion engines, but now we are, because obviously there is still a lot to learn in this field. Here we mainly help with component production. So now we are involved in almost the entire car — including on the operational side.”
Red Bull’s collaboration with Ford represents a strategic step forward, not only preparing the team for the 2026 technical revolution but also expanding their expertise in powertrain technology, which could give them a competitive edge in future seasons.
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