Pre-season testing for the 2025 Formula 1 season started in Bahrain this Wednesday, yet one theory regarding Red Bull’s new car is gaining traction with their rival teams.
The Milton Keynes outfit have travelled to Sakhir to shake their new challenger down ahead of the Australian Grand Prix on March 16. Red Bull hope the RB21 can take them back to the front of the field after falling to third place in the F1 constructors’ championship last season.
Max Verstappen was still able to win the drivers’ title with the RB20, yet Red Bull were rarely happy over the second half of the term. Stability issues often caused woe after Red Bull won seven of the first 10 Grands Prix to see McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes take 12 wins from 14.
Rival teams think Red Bull will not upgrade the RB21 after F1 Testing in Bahrain
Verstappen can become just the second driver ever after Michael Schumacher to win five F1 titles in succession if the Red Bull racer retains his crown once more this year. But leaks from Milton Keynes before the Bahrain test claim Red Bull did not fix Verstappen’s stability issues.
If those leaks prove true, the 27-year-old might have some cause for concern. Gazzetta dello Sport reports technicians amongst their rival teams are growing increasingly convinced after seeing the RB21 on track at F1 Testing that Red Bull’s new car might already be its final form.
READ MORE: Everything you need to know about F1 2025 Pre-Season Testing in Bahrain
Pierre Wache and Red Bull’s design team have sought to increase the potential performance of the RB20 with the RB21 that Verstappen and Liam Lawson will race in the 2025 F1 season. So, rival technicians think Red Bull will shy away from upgrades given their radical approach.
Red Bull have developed the high-downforce bodywork they first introduced at last season’s Hungarian Grand Prix to further optimise the heat exchange to not compromise their Honda power unit. This year is their last with Honda as Red Bull will make their own engine in 2026.
Liam Lawson struggles with oversteer in Red Bull’s new car like Max Verstappen hated
F1 Testing in Bahrain did not get off perfectly for the team from Milton Keynes as new driver Lawson struggled with oversteer in Red Bull’s new car. The Kiwi, who has moved up from RB (now Racing Bulls) to replace Sergio Perez, was first to lap the RB21 on Wednesday morning.
Lawson’s complaints may raise further alarm in their garage as Verstappen ‘hated’ Red Bull’s oversteer problems last term. So, if the theory gaining traction with their rivals that Red Bull do not aim to add substantial upgrades to their bodywork is true, they may need a re-think.
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