Red Bull Racing is experiencing the repercussions of its effort to achieve the 2025 title, as confirmed by the team’s director, Laurent Mekies. The resources allocated to improve the team’s setup have affected the development of their proposal for 2026.
Last season, Max Verstappen managed to recover a 104-point deficit in the championship during the last nine races. Nonetheless, he ended up just two points behind his teammate Oscar Piastri at McLaren, Lando Norris.
This effort came at a high cost for the team, as budget limits and restrictions on aerodynamic testing have hindered their ability to improve. Meanwhile, other teams have focused on the new technical regulations set to come into effect in 2026.
In this context, Red Bull introduced the latest improvements to their car up to the Mexican Grand Prix at the end of October. As a result, the new RB22 has ranked as the fourth fastest car of 2026, behind rivals such as Mercedes, Ferrari, and McLaren, and even fell behind Pierre Gasly’s Alpine in the qualifications in China and Japan.
In a podcast on Beyond The Grid, Mekies defended his team’s choice to continue developing the RB21, arguing that it was the right decision at the time. “No one wanted to give up, and we always thought that this effort was worth it,” Mekies stated.
Despite the challenges, Mekies emphasized that the team is not using the circumstances as an excuse. “We know our current position is not satisfactory, but we are determined to overcome it. We have gone through difficult times before, and we believe we can rise again,” he added.
Currently, Red Bull occupies sixth place in the constructors’ championship, with a significant 119-point deficit to Mercedes after three races this season.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI