Red Bull’s RB21 is potentially back in the game after a difficult season. The team’s advisor, Helmut Marko, believes they may have successfully addressed last year’s balance issues, seeing the car’s performance during the F1 2025 pre-season testing at the Bahrain International Circuit.
Marko highlighted that the RB21’s long runs were notably competitive on high fuel loads, a promising sign for Red Bull. “The car is more predictable and responds to changes as expected,” Marko revealed to Dutch media, indicating a solution to the previous year’s struggles. He expressed optimism that the car’s issues are “much better, or maybe even sorted.”
The Red Bull advisor also commented on the performance of rival teams McLaren and Mercedes, who stood out with their performance on the first day of testing. Lando Norris of McLaren led the field with a time of 1:30.430, closely followed by George Russell of Mercedes. Marko acknowledged their consistency and speed, even suggesting lower temperatures could be a factor in their quick pace.
However, Ferrari’s performance left Marko somewhat underwhelmed. With Charles Leclerc finishing fourth and Lewis Hamilton trailing in 13th place, Red Bull’s advisor said it was “a bit disappointing” as they had expected more from the Italian team. Nevertheless, he reminded that there are still two more days of pre-season testing, leaving room for potential improvements.
In the midst of this, Red Bull’s lead driver, Max Verstappen, who is aiming for his fifth consecutive World Championship in F1 2025, expressed satisfaction with the RB21’s performance on the opening day. Verstappen pointed out the car’s increased complexity and responsiveness to changes.
“On his fastest lap, he had a slight moment, so a little more would have been possible. But overall, the long runs were really impressive, and our tyre wear was very good,” Marko reiterated.
Despite the promising start, Verstappen maintained a cautious stance regarding the car’s pace, given it was only the first day of pre-season testing. He emphasized the importance of working on their testing programme and learning the direction in which they need to steer the car.
In conclusion, the RB21 seems to be on a promising trajectory, potentially having rectified last year’s problems. However, as Verstappen wisely points out, it’s still early days, and the focus should be on continuous learning and adjustments. After all, a perfect lap isn’t the ultimate goal, but rather control and consistent performance. The forthcoming days of pre-season testing will undoubtedly reveal more.
