The 2024 season couldn’t have started on a better note for Max Verstappen. The 27-year-old won seven out of the first 10 races and it seemed like his title defense was going to plan. But as the season progressed, Red Bull dropped the ball as the RB20 faced severe balance issues.
A narrow operating window, lower ride height, and stiffer suspension settings meant that the car was losing aerodynamic efficiency on bumps and kerbs. The team also hit a ceiling with their development, meaning other teams quickly overtook them and Red Bull couldn’t find a solution to their problems.
Going into 2025, Verstappen’s father, Jos, expects the team to rectify those issues. In fact, he deems it an absolute priority because he believes that the gremlins of the past will carry forward to 2026 if not taken care of now.
“If they don’t come out here, you’re worried about the years to come. We are optimistic, but we do want to see progress,” he said as quoted by F1Maximaal.nl.
Fresh RB21 insight emerges from Red Bull simulator sessions:
— Red Bull simulator driver Sebastien Buemi has revealed that the team now fully understands the mistakes made in the RB20’s development and is determined not to “hold back” with the RB21.
“As a team, we understand… pic.twitter.com/hoGWJvheS2
— This is Formula 1 (@ThisIsFormu1a1) February 15, 2025
Max was able to defend his crown at the Las Vegas GP last year, but the final 14 races of the season saw him winning only twice. In 2025, he might not have the luxury of early season wins and this could end his title dominance.
But there are deeper problems within Red Bull that could result in them having a dramatic fall from grace. Adrian Newey, the man credited for building the Dutchman’s title-winning cars, left the team last year for Aston Martin.
Pierre Waché has assumed the reins at the helm of design but Verstappen Sr. is still apprehensive. “That is very important for Max: can they still put down a good car with these new people? Because you also take that with you to 2026,” he added.
Conflicting reports emerge from Red Bull camp about the RB21’s competitiveness
Going into the off-season, Red Bull were aware that they had to resolve their issues with the bumps and kerbs. It was necessary because it was revealed by the team that they would be carrying forward the concept of the RB20 onto the RB21.
Naturally, for them to be competitive this season, they had to tackle the gremlins on the RB20. Team advisor Helmut Marko believes that the team has resolved those issues by relying on simulator and CFD data.
“Driving over the kerbs was one of our weak points. In the wind tunnel, those problems seem to have been solved, but we will see during the test in Bahrain,” he had said when asked about the RB21.
But Verstappen Sr. isn’t convinced by those results. “Well, Max drove in the simulator, but you can’t trust one hundred percent of what will come out,” he added.
With less than a week remaining before Red Bull roll out at the Sakhir International Circuit for pre-season testing, we are not far from finding out whether the Milton Keynes-based outfit have been able to solve the gremlins of their past or not.
