Red Bull faces uncertainty ahead of the season opener in Australia following a challenging pre-season testing.
As the 2025 Formula 1 season gets closer, the team who have dominated the last few years of the sport are in a seemingly difficult position. This comes after Red Bull had a reported tricky start to pre-season testing. Max Verstappen and Liam Lawson encountered hurdles that prevented them from running as smoothly as anticipated.
Tricky start to the season approaching for Red Bull
Pre-season testing is a crucial period for F1 teams and drivers. The 24 hours of testing time allows the field to see how they compare against their rivals. However, for Red Bull this year’s session left more questions than answers.
Throughout the three days of testing, the RB21 was frequently in the garage for adjustments, with a water pressure failure on Thursday further disrupting their program.
Whilst Verstappen managed to set the second fastest time on the final day, neither he or Lawson managed to complete a full race simulation. This has raised questions about Red Bull’s reliability, something that has rarely been an issue for the team in the past seasons.
Pierre Wache, Red Bull’s Technical Director, admitted the team did not have a seamless testing experience as they had hoped.
“It was not as smooth a test as we expected and the team expected, but it is better to find some problems here than later down the line. That is why we are here—to understand the car.”
However, Wache also explained that the weather conditions in Bahrain made it harder to gauge the team’s true performance level.
Former F1 strategy engineer Bernie Collins believed that the team were not entirely comfortable with their 2025 challenger. The changes to their bodywork led the analyst to believe there was a lot of internal investigation for the team.
“Verstappen showed a strong lap at the end, but it wasn’t as quick as Russell or the pace on Thursday, he didn’t get a proper race simulation in, so some work to do but I’m sure they will sort it out.”
Verstappen Stays Cautious
Four-time World Champion Max Verstappen has remained composed ahead of the season opener in Melbourne. The Red Bull driver has acknowledged the need for further refinement in the RB21, downplaying any major concerns for the team.
“I think we had a decent last day. There were a few little problems, but overall, we completed quite a bit of what we wanted to do,” the Dutchman said. “It is difficult to tell where everyone’s pace is, so there is still a bit of work to do for us. We are looking forward to starting racing properly again in Australia.”
Red Bull faces uncertainty at the moment as it seeks to reclaim back the Constructors’ Championship as the field closes up in the final year of the current technical regulations.
But in the past seasons, Max Verstappen and his team have managed to exceed expectations, never counting themselves out of a championship fight.
Feature Image Credit Red Bull Content Pool
