Much has been written about the huge car and power unit design regulation changes coming in 2026 with Alpine first deciding to focus all their attention and resources on the project back in March this year. Williams were not far behind in April but Carlos Sainz complained about the decision arguing the car had so much potential they should continue. Yet nothing more has come from Grove with the exception of a few tweaks here and there.
With the team’s now being under a cost cap limit set by the FIA’s financial regulations along with limits for wind tunnel usage and hours of computer fluid design, gone are the days when they can develop their current car to the end of the year due to the resource restrictions.
McLaren no significant upgrade for 6 weekends
The big four abandoned their 2025 car development much later than some of the smaller teams, with McLaren last upgrading their MCL39 in a minor fashion in Monza. Ironically since then it has been the Max Verstappen road show, with a Cameo from George Russell in Singapore.
For six race weekends now the McLaren car has not significantly changed and it surely is the reason they have lost their competitive edge.
Ferrari too have ceased the development of their car, with the last upgrade being a minor brake duct refinement in Azerbaijan. Mercedes last efforts too have been minor although they tried a rear suspension wishbone in Austin Texas, while Red Bull continue to push on.
The Monza floor was the biggie for the team from Milton Keynes, it improved the window of operation in which the car can now be setup. Previously Verstappen had described the RB21 as permanently on a knife edge, something Yuki Tsunoda could not handle scoring just two points across the nine race weekends before Azerbaijan, where he too got the new floor design.
Power units at altitude and aerodynamics. Who is favourite for the Mexican Grand Prix?
Red Bull had given up hope
The question posed in the title of this report may appear to be self evident, given Max Verstappen has recovered sixty four points on Oscar Piastri since Monza and now sits just forty behind the championship leader.
Yet such was the despair in the Red Bull team, Dr Helmut Marko revealed last time out: “We had already given up everything in the summer, and now everyone is hungry again.” The culture within the Red Bull racing team was established by Christian Horner who built the multiple title winning outfit from the ashes of Jaguar F1.
“Never give up” has been the motto in Milton Keynes and they have a history of chasing down seemingly lost causes. The Brawn GP fairy tale, was almost a nightmare for Jenson Button as once Red Bull adopted the double diffuser in 2009, they became dominant with Sebastian Vettel hunting down his British rival.
Button won six of the first seven races that season, such was the advantage of the Honda designed Brawn GP car. Yet he failed to claim the top step of the podium across the final ten race weekends as Red Bull roared back into both drivers’ and constructor title races, almost pulling of the biggest comeback in F1 history.
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Horner revealed the source of Red Bull’s problems
Yet it may not have been the never say die attitude of those in Milton Keynes which forced the team to continue its development efforts with the RB21, rather desperation in trying to figure out how they had got it so wrong.
Then team boss Christian Horner revealed earlier this season the team were struggling to correlate their modelling to what happened when it was implemented on track. “Primarily the wind tunnel has driven us in a direction that isn’t replicating what we’re seeing on track and so, then you end up with a mishmash between what your tools are telling you and what the track data is and so obviously now as we’re accumulating track data, it’s the track data that’s driving the solutions,” he said in Bahrain.
This became almost a weekly repeated mantra but abandoning this year’s car development would not solve the problem. In fact with no visibility on how theory works in practice, Red Bull would have been making a leap of faith in their 2026 car design if they failed to solve their correlation issues.
Lack of tools correlation drove RBR on
It is this which has driven them onward, continuing their RB21 development and along the way they’ve found a silver bullet. Whilst the cars with their moveable from and rear wings will be radically different both Max Verstaoopen and Red Bull team boss Laurent Mekies agree there will be some carry over from this year to next.
“I think, as you say, there are many things we can take to 2026,” Mekies told assembled media in Mexico. “You will use the same people, you will use the same methodology, the same process, the same tools to go and design that car.”
The Frenchman went on to reveal to motivation for persisting with the development of the RB21. “We didn’t hide the fact that it was very important for us to try to unlock what we felt was in the car in that project under the current regulations. To sort of leave 2025 understanding that we are comfortable with where our tools’ limitations are, what we understand, what we don’t understand, and therefore design a better 2026 car as a result.
The Red Bull boss concedes there is a little lost in terms of resources for 2026, “but you go into it with a bit more confidence in your own methodologies and tools. Yes, there are many areas where you will be able to transfer knowledge.”
Tsunoda ‘not done enough’ as Mexico announcement looms
Even the tyre conundrum solved
McLaren were beating Red Bull hands down in terms of tyre management during the main European racing season, yet in Austin where the temperatures soared that advantage had clearly gone.
“Tyres is one, even if the tyres are changing. But more generally, in how you develop the car, where your correlations happen, where they don’t, and all the various sensitivities,” concluded Mekies. Of course there will remain some of the never say die attitude instilled in the team during Christian Horner’s twenty years at the helm and even the Monza floor would have begum its development path before he was sacked from Milton Keynes.
Yet even with Verstappen losing interest as Dr. Marko recently admitted, the team pursued its goal of improving their understanding of the RB21 and with it came a renewed confidence in their tools and methodology – as well as Max now fighting tooth and nail for a record fifth costive drivers’ championship.
Time to buckle up F1 fans. Red Bull so often the arch villains are about to ignite a battle royal which if not being decided on the last lap of the last race, will certainly still be thrilling to watch.
Piastri’s McLaren imposed “consequences” for causing chaos in Austin
Just five Formula One race weekends ago, Oscar Piastri was riding high and looked nailed on to be the first McLaren driver to claim a world championship since lewis Hamilton in 2008. His pole to race win race in the sand dunes of Zandvoort saw him with a 34 point lead over his team mate who DNF’s with an faulty oil pipe and a massive 104 points over current champion Max Verstappen.
Yet since then the Australian has failed to beat either of his title rivals and a series of mistakes has seen him absent from the podium celebrations too. Last time out in Astuin Texas, Piastri made a woeful decision in the Sprint to try an undercut his team mate into turn one of the Sprint.
The result was both he and his team mate, along with Fernando Alonso were out of the Sprint which was won by Verstappen. But worse for the team was the fact given it was a Sprint weekend they lost all the data on how to set up the cars for Grand Prix qualifying and the race on Sunday…. READ MORE
A.J. Hunt is Senior Editor at TJ13, where Andrew oversees editorial standards and contributes to the site’s Formula 1 coverage. A career journalist with experience in both print and digital sports media, Andrew trained in investigative journalism and has written for a range of European sports outlets.
At TJ13, Andrew plays a central role in shaping the site’s output, working across breaking news, analysis, and long-form features. Andrew’s responsibilities include fact-checking, refining editorial structure, and ensuring consistency in reporting across a fast-moving news cycle.
Andrew’s work focuses particularly on the intersection of Formula 1 politics, regulation, and team strategy. Andrew closely follows developments involving the FIA, team leadership, and driver market dynamics, helping to provide context behind the sport’s biggest stories.
With experience covering multiple seasons of Formula 1’s modern hybrid era, Andrew has developed a detailed understanding of how regulatory changes and competitive shifts influence the grid. Andrew’s editorial approach prioritises clarity and context, aiming to help readers navigate complex developments within the sport.
In addition to editorial duties, Andrew is particularly interested in how media narratives shape fan perception of Formula 1, and how reporting can balance speed with accuracy in an increasingly digital news environment.
