The Red Bull RB20 is at risk of losing the development race. As rival McLaren continues to gain ground in the constructors’ championship, Max Verstappen likens his car to ‘a monster’. The papayas have taken the lead in the title fight and Red Bull must fear for second place. Christian Horner warns that the 2025 car will not bring about revolutions.
With six Grands Prix left on the calendar, the engineers at Red Bull are busier than ever. An upgraded RB20 is expected to start in Austin, but behind the scenes, work is already underway on its successor, the RB21. The team is also fully engaged with the car for 2026, a revolutionary design considering the new regulations.
ALSO READ: Verstappen regrets exodus at Red Bull: ‘Can’t force anyone to stay’
Managing Multiple Projects in Formula 1
“In this business, you’re always juggling a bit,” said team boss Christian Horner. It’s up to the Englishman to steer all the different projects in the right direction. “You can’t look too far into the future, the long term in Formula 1 is at most two and a half months. Fortunately, everything we’re learning now is relevant for next year. The RB21 is merely an evolution of this season’s car.”
The Wind Tunnel Challenge
“This year, we’ve also brought many components from 2023,” Horner explained. “That’s just how it works with a budget cap; unless it really makes a big difference in performance, there’s no point in making big changes.” According to Horner, a large part of the current problems can be attributed to the outdated wind tunnel. The team is building a completely new facility, but it is not yet operational.
“Now that we’re really going to push the aerodynamics of these cars to the limit, the limitations of our tunnel are becoming apparent,” he said. According to the team boss, Red Bull had to wait a long time to build a new wind tunnel because the FIA threatened to ban its use. “At the insistence of Aston Martin, the organization reconsidered,” said Horner. “Then we knew we also had to invest in a new facility. Our current tunnel is sixty years old, a remnant from the Cold War. It has produced some fantastic cars, but it also has its flaws.”
