Despite being outclassed by McLaren at the season-opening Australian GP last weekend, Red Bull team advisor Helmut Marko turned quite a few heads in the paddock when he said his team was catching up to the Woking-based team.
The 81-year-old stated before the race that the RB21, despite its issues, was already the second-fastest car on the grid.
Max Verstappen proved Marko correct to some extent. He extracted the maximum out of the package and finished ahead of the Ferrari and Mercedes cars at the Albert Park Circuit in P2. Now, with a technical directive issued by the FIA, the Dutchman could be fighting for wins from next weekend onwards.
Stricter Rear Wing Deflection Tests Introduced for the Chinese GP!
Following analysis from the Australian GP, the FIA has decided to toughen rear wing flexibility tests starting at the Chinese GP.
Update to Article 3.15.17: When 75kg of load is applied to the rear wing, the… pic.twitter.com/lmG4VAdBSW
— FIA (@fia) March 17, 2025
The governing body of the sport has tightened the regulations around the ‘flexi rear wing’ from the Chinese GP onwards.
A statement from the FIA read, “After analyzing the images of the distortions of the rear wing in combination with the static deflections measured in the FIA garage in Melbourne, the FIA has come to the conclusion that there is sufficient reason to carry out a heavier test on the upper rear wing from the upcoming Chinese Grand Prix.”
Marko believes this mandate will hurt the MCL39 the most, as the car has seemingly exploited this grey area effectively. Dutch journalist Erik van Haren, writing for De Telegraaf, explained that Marko’s optimism comes from the belief that the latest FIA directive could rein in McLaren, bringing them closer to Red Bull.
But even with a level playing field, will Red Bull be able to have the legs over McLaren?
Red Bull driver situation puts them at a disadvantage against McLaren
The Australian GP was a trial by fire for Red Bull’s latest recruit, Liam Lawson. The Kiwi racing ace faced a shock Q1 exit and made matters worse for himself after crashing out from the Grand Prix.
Lawson has been struggling to get to grips with the RB21, with Verstappen once again shouldering the burden of raking in the points for the team — a situation that cost them the Constructors’ title last year with Sergio Perez.
LIAM LAWSON CRASH!
SAFETY CAR LAGI!! pic.twitter.com/8l37tmysdd
— F1 Speed Indonesia (@f1speed_indo) March 16, 2025
On the other hand, the duo of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have been the most consistent driver line up in the sport over the past year. Despite his late-race spin in Melbourne which sent him to the back of the pack, Piastri was able to finish in the points whereas Norris took the win.
Thus, even if the RB21 can perform on the same level as the MCL39 from the Chinese GP onwards, the Milton-Keynes-based team isn’t firing on all cylinders, and this could jeopardize their title ambitions once again.
