The 2025 Method 1 season didn’t deliver a brand new world title for Crimson Bull, however will nonetheless be remembered for Max Verstappen’s exceptional comeback.
The Dutchman mentioned in Abu Dhabi that he felt even higher than he had 12 months earlier. This may increasingly sound stunning, given he was world champion again then, however on the time he already sensed issues going incorrect inside Crimson Bull – a pattern that continued into the primary half of 2025. Verstappen felt it as early as winter testing in Bahrain, the place he realised that the RB20’s most important weaknesses have been nonetheless current in its successor.
Solely after the summer time break was Crimson Bull capable of flip the tide. It went hand in hand with growing the 2025 challenger for longer than most rivals, however in a choose end-of-season roundtable group principal Laurent Mekies made clear it was the one right selection.
Persevering with work on the RB21 did price time that might have been allotted to the 2026 venture, however given the group’s state of affairs, there have been no higher options, Mekies mentioned.
“I feel it turned fairly apparent to us that we did not wish to merely flip the web page and have the wishful pondering that, while the 2025 automotive had not been on the required degree to battle for the title, we might then be okay doing so in 2026. We did not wish to go down that route,” the Frenchman defined.
Laurent Mekies, Crimson Bull Racing Group Group Principal
Picture by: Erik Junius
“We needed to go down the path to resolve the 2025 venture first. We would have liked to grasp why it was not performing, as a result of basically we’ll be utilizing the identical instruments, the identical processes and the identical methodologies subsequent yr.”
That selection did come at a value, however based on the French group principal, it was price it regardless: “And sure, we could have misplaced a while in doing so, however we did not wish to go for the wishful pondering route. So, to return again to the purpose, was it a troublesome determination? No, it is one thing we have now been very, very satisfied of very early on.”
In response to Mekies, the 2025 turnaround is efficacious for the upcoming season in a number of methods. Validating the work strategies and instruments was by far crucial side, however much more particular data can nonetheless be utilized, regardless of the foremost overhaul in technical laws.
“In fact there’s a big quantity of studying. First on the methodologies – what do you must make the automotive sooner, and what do you do to go across the given limitations? Then the training concerning the tyres, the correlation of your instruments, the place you assume it is proper so as to add efficiency. So the frequent areas are big, even with the fully completely different laws.”
A much-needed confidence increase for the technical group
Laurent Mekies, Crimson Bull Racing Group Principal
Picture by: Mark Thompson / Getty Pictures
As well as, the turnaround has additionally been vital mentally, particularly for the technical division.
“If we keep on the human side for as soon as, then I feel it has actually put the group much more collectively, and that provides us the appropriate method, the appropriate vibe and the appropriate power for subsequent yr,” Mekies added. “Does it make us really feel that the automotive goes to be sooner or slower than the opposition? No, actually, not.
“However I feel as a bunch, in the best way we function, and in the best way we settle for the challenges and transfer ahead, that is useful. It is actually giving us a whole lot of affirmation concerning the high quality of our folks and of our method.”
That applies specifically to the group led by Pierre Wache. Crimson Bull struggled from mid-2024 to September 2025, which means the turnaround offers the squad confidence that it may well not less than overcome a troublesome state of affairs – whatever the change in laws.
“For positive, it is an enormous increase for the technical division to see the automotive efficiency on the finish of such a season,” Mekies identified. “And sure, it offers the folks confidence. We already had that confidence in our folks as a result of we really feel that we have now the very best expertise. However this provides confidence into the methodologies, into the instruments, into the KPIs that you’re utilizing, and yeah, we expect that has been crucial side of this yr.”
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