The much-anticipated Red Bull 2025 Formula 1 car, the enigmatic RB21, has finally stepped out of the shadows. However, its unveiling has only deepened the mystery surrounding it, rather than offering any clarity. Images of the RB21 were released just before pre-season testing in Bahrain, but these studio shots did not showcase a radically different vehicle. Instead, the glimpsed car appeared to bear more than a passing resemblance to its predecessor, the 2024 model, with only minimal tweaks in evidence.
The lack of discernible changes was baffling, considering Red Bull’s dominant performance in the first two years of the ground-effect rules era and the beginning of 2024. This was a car that, despite assisting Max Verstappen in clinching the drivers’ championship, had faced significant challenges. Its shortcomings had led to Red Bull losing the constructors’ title and being surpassed by McLaren and Ferrari, necessitating substantial revisions achievable only through intensive winter work.
Yet, the images initially shared by Red Bull did not hint at any such major overhaul. It’s possible that significant changes were made to less conspicuous areas, such as the underfloor or the diffuser at the rear. Nonetheless, the striking similarity to the 2024 model was perplexing. Red Bull has a history of maintaining secrecy around new car launches, but this seemed to be a new level of misdirection.
Further intrigue was added when Red Bull released pictures of the RB21 from a shakedown in Bahrain. The car looked strikingly similar to the one dismissed in the previous images. Side-by-side comparisons with the late-2024 model revealed virtually no differences. A compelling question arose: Is this a masterful bluff by Red Bull, or are the 2025 changes so subtle that they remain unrecognized or intentionally hidden?
Theories abound. Perhaps Red Bull has an arsenal of new front and rear wings, a new floor, and additional bodywork ready to unveil in Bahrain or at the first race in Australia. Team boss Christian Horner’s remark about the run being “a good systems check in preparation for tomorrow” stokes this speculation.
However, if this is indeed the genuine 2025 model, what might it suggest? It’s conceivable that Red Bull remains confident in the base 2024 concept, which proved to be the fastest car in the initial six events of the previous year. The team may believe the model was hindered by their own developmental errors or by rivals exploiting flexi-wing technology. With teams given permission to push aeroelasticity boundaries until June’s round nine of 2025, Red Bull’s minor surface-level changes might be masking significant unseen alterations.
Yet, this theory would still necessitate the reshaping of other aerodynamic surfaces further down the car. Unless, of course, these visible changes are yet to be unveiled.
Another, albeit unlikely, possibility is that Red Bull has decided to pursue a straightforward evolution due to the prohibitive developmental cost of addressing the RB20’s weaknesses. Especially if the solution lies in flexi-wing tactics that will soon be banned.
It’s difficult to envisage Red Bull or Verstappen accepting such a strategy. However, the RB21’s reveal is shrouded in such mystery that all we have to rely on for now is informed speculation. This adds an extra layer of intrigue to an already captivating week of testing, eagerly watched by fans and rivals alike.
