Red Bull will bring upgrades to the RB21 “around the third to fifth race” as the team look to close the gap to McLaren.

The opening race in Australia confirmed McLaren’s supremacy over the rest of the field and while Max Verstappen was able to battle for P2, the team hope to bring more tools for the Dutchman’s arsenal soon.

Red Bull set date for crucial RB21 upgrades

The skill of the Red Bull driver was on show as the reigning World Champion was the only one able to hang onto the coattails of the two quick McLarens up front.

A slide from both McLarens, which resulted in Oscar Piastri heading for the grass, allowed Verstappen to move into P2 but he failed to launch a sustained challenge on eventual winner Lando Norris.

But Red Bull senior advisor Helmut Marko has set a date on when Verstappen and Liam Lawson can expect upgrades.

“We hope that around the third to fifth race we will take an important step forward,” Marko told Sky Germany.

The 81-year-old was also asked whether Red Bull’s issues were mechanical or aerodynamic and he made a more concerning assessment.

“Both. But that cannot be solved so quickly.”

Verstappen said that McLaren “took off” when his tyres started to overheat, revealing where the Woking team had the edge.

“I think [the pace is] good compared to the teams behind us,” he said. “But if you look at the first stint, we were quite a bit off.

“As soon as the tyres started to overheat, we had no chance. McLaren just took off. So, we still have a lot of work to do to fight for a win.

“I’m happy that we are second here. It’s basically one place better than we should have been. And it’s 18 more points than I had last year at this race.”

Red Bull’s problem is not helped by the calendar with China this weekend followed by the first triple header in April.

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Team principal Christian Horner admitted it is hard to set expectations for the upcoming race in Shanghai as it has never been a good circuit for them.

“I think expectations are difficult to set ahead of China,” Horner said. “This track historically for us, even in our strongest days, has never played to our strengths.

“I think the fact that we’ve only won this race twice in 20 years shows it’s quite a tricky circuit for us.

“I think we’re looking forward to going to China and learning more about the car or about some of its limitations.

“The McLarens will be quick there, I’ve got no doubt about that, but it’ll be interesting to see how the balance moves around.”

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