Red Bull will have to “inevitably” develop 2025 F1 car until end of season

Red Bull says it will have to "inevitably” develop the RB21 until the final race of the 2025 Formula 1 season if it remains involved in the tight fight.

F1 is introducing a new set of regulations in 2026, with both the chassis and the engine rules set to be completely revamped next year.

In the past, teams have often paid the price of continuing development of a current car when a rule change was on the horizon. Conversely, BMW Sauber gave up its focus on the 2008 title fight to prioritise the development of the F1.09, only for its strategy to backfire the following year.

Red Bull is facing an even bigger challenge ahead of the next rules cycle, as it is developing an in-house power unit for the first time in history.

Christian Horner on Red Bull RB21 development

But team principal Christian Horner feels it is important to balance the deployment of resources between the RB21 and its 2026 challenger, especially with Max Verstappen expected to be in the hunt for a fifth straight title this year.

Asked if Red Bull will have to develop its 2025 F1 car until the end of the year to continue its winning streak, Horner said: “Inevitably, depending on how the championship plays out. But you’ve got to keep developing.

“In this business, if you're standing still, you're going backwards. And of course, there's that dilemma with next year's regulations—where you apply resources, where you don't.

“But inevitably, you've got to keep chasing performance, keep getting performance on the car.”

Verstappen finished second in a wet opening round of the season in Australia last weekend, benefiting from troubles for several rivals to end up just nine tenths behind McLaren’s Lando Norris.

Verstappen had qualified third in Melbourne with a best time of 1m15.481s, which was five tenths quicker than the lap he set to grab pole position at the same track in 2024.

Horner said RB21 is already a step forward to Red Bull’s 2024 contender, but the team will have to continue development on the car to fight with McLaren for the championship.

“We can see by the lap times—everybody's going significantly quicker,” he said. “I think we’ve significantly changed certain characteristics of the car. It gives us a broader base from which to work with now.

“It’s a development race between now and Abu Dhabi in December, so it’s going to be a nine-month marathon. From what we saw in Melbourne, if the racing’s like that all the way through, it could be a bumper year.”