As Formula 1 gets ready for the 2025 season, Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner has sent out a cryptic warning for their rivals.
Red Bull’s RB21 appears visually similar to its predecessor, the RB20. However, Horner has hinted at a raft of significant under-the-surface changes, suggesting that “the devil is in the detail.”
A bold concept for Red Bull’s RB21
Red Bull are coming into 2025 determined to reclaim the Constructors’ Championship. Despite Max Verstappen claiming his fourth consecutive Drivers’ title, the team was consistently outperformed by the likes of McLaren and Ferrari. Ultimately dropping from first to third. Horner revealed that the RB21 has undergone extensive refinements to ensure the team return to the top sport.
“The RB21 visually to the RB20 looks very similar, but the devil is in the detail,” Horner stated.
“Almost every single component on the car has been changed, upgraded, refined, and improved. So we’ll get a first indication of what we’ve managed to achieve during these next few days of testing.”
Horner acknowledges the “Diva” that was the RB20
Despite the success that the RB20 brought the team, Horner acknowledged the challenges it brought along. Particularly in terms of consistency throughout the middle part of the season. Verstappen and Perez had both spoken throughout last season, with the 4-time world champion often calling the car “undriveable.”
“The RB20 won more races than any other car last year in nine Grands Prix and four sprint races, but it was a little bit of a diva at times,” Horner admitted.
“Extracting the most out of the car became problematic, and what we’re hoping for with the RB21 is a much wider operating window—something more predictable and easier to work with.”
First Impressions of Red Bull’s RB21
Ahead of today’s pre-season testing session, Verstappen and Liam Lawson took the RB21 out for a filming day at the Sakhir Circuit. The initial laps were limited for data collection due to the tyres designated for filming days. However, early signs seemed promising for a potential extension of Red Bull’s dominance. Horner believed the correlation between the on-track and simulator performance seemed positive for the team.
“It’s so difficult to get a clear read because we’re running on tyres that are very different to what we’ll use officially at the races and the test…So it’s just making sure that all the data correlates with our tools in the wind tunnel and in the virtual world, which so far seems to be aligning quite nicely.”
What’s next for Red Bull?
With the first day of testing beginning today, over the coming days, Red Bull will understand just how competitive their car will be. With their rivals also bringing significant upgrades, testing will allow Red Bull to get a full understanding of who their biggest threats are.
Horner believes Red Bull will reassert itself at the top of the Constructors’ standings in 2025. “It’s going to be a season of development from the first race to the last,” he stated.
Feature Image Credit Red Bull Content Pool
