Red Bull Aims to Close the Gap to McLaren with Key Upgrades in 2025
Red Bull Racing is focused on narrowing the performance gap to McLaren in the 2025 Formula 1 season, with planned updates to its RB21 car set to arrive within the next three to five races. The team’s primary concern is tyre degradation, a weakness that became evident in the season opener in Melbourne.
McLaren’s Early Advantage in Australia
The Australian Grand Prix saw McLaren’s Lando Norris convert his pole position into a dominant victory, with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen finishing in second place. Although the margin at the finish line was less than a second, key moments in the race revealed McLaren’s superior tyre management.
Verstappen initially stayed competitive but experienced a sharp drop in pace during the middle stint. In just 10 laps, he lost 14 seconds to McLaren’s Norris and Oscar Piastri. At one stage, the gap to the leaders stretched to over 18 seconds, only to be reduced due to a well-timed Safety Car intervention.
Following the race, Verstappen identified tyre overheating as the main issue. He acknowledged that while Red Bull was competitive at the start and end of the race, their performance suffered significantly once the tyres overheated. In contrast, McLaren managed to sustain their pace without the same level of degradation.
Red Bull Recognizes McLaren’s Strengths
Team advisor Helmut Marko admitted that Red Bull anticipated McLaren’s pace advantage after pre-season testing in Bahrain. However, while they managed to reduce the deficit from an initial half a second per lap to two or three tenths, Red Bull’s tyre degradation continues to be a limiting factor.
Marko noted that Red Bull can closely follow McLaren for six to eight laps before their tyres start wearing out faster. This was evident in Melbourne, where Verstappen’s pace on Intermediate tyres dropped off while McLaren maintained strong performance. Addressing this issue is now a priority for the team.
Upcoming Upgrades to Address Weaknesses
Despite the challenges, Red Bull remains optimistic about making improvements. Marko confirmed that the team is actively developing solutions for the RB21’s tyre-related struggles and aims to implement them within the next few races. The expectation is that these changes will bring the car to a more competitive level relative to McLaren.
This approach aligns with Red Bull’s ongoing efforts to refine their car following balance issues with the RB20 in 2024, which contributed to McLaren’s resurgence. The RB21, however, is viewed as a more stable platform for development.
Team principal Christian Horner emphasized that Red Bull took an experimental approach in Bahrain testing, making extreme setup changes to gather data. He highlighted that the RB21 is a more predictable car compared to its predecessor, which should provide a solid foundation for development throughout the season.
Verstappen’s Perspective on the Battle Ahead
For Verstappen, the Australian Grand Prix delivered mixed results. While finishing second was a strong outcome, he acknowledged that Red Bull still has significant work to do in order to challenge McLaren for victories. He pointed out that his finish in Melbourne was an improvement over the previous year’s race but stressed the need to improve the car’s tyre management.
Looking ahead, Red Bull remains committed to addressing their current weaknesses, with the goal of closing the gap to McLaren as the season progresses.