Red Bull in “full attack mode” after ‘paying the price’ over key F1 2025 decision

Red Bull boss Laurent Mekies admits his team is paying the price for its decision to develop its 2025 Formula 1 car late into the season.

With Max Verstappen producing an incredible comeback in the world championship, Red Bull continued to develop its RB21 challenger late into the 2025 campaign as the Dutchman remarkably took the title battle right down to the wire. 

Verstappen ultimately came up short by two points as he was denied a fifth consecutive world championship by McLaren’s Lando Norris in a nail-biting Abu Dhabi finale.

Red Bull has endured a difficult start to F1’s new regulation cycle and has suffered lacklustre results across the opening three rounds, leaving it a lowly sixth in the constructors’ championship, while Verstappen is eighth in the drivers’ standings with just 12 points.

Team principal Mekies stands by Red Bull’s decision to develop late into 2025. 

“We thought and we still think it was the right thing to do, because we felt that turning the page to ‘26 would have been a little bit of an easy escape and a wishful thinking that next year will be better, even though we didn't fully understand what were the limitations of 2025,” Mekies told the Beyond the Grid podcast.

“We didn't think it was the right way. Now, of course, the time and energy we invested for the late push last year, does it have an impact on where you start ’26? Of course it does. Of course, we pay a bit of the price today. Do we use it as an excuse? No.

“We are not happy with the starting point. But we think we will get through these difficulties. As we did last year, we will get the full understanding of the limitations. And this team has been very, very good in turning things around and we have another chance to do it this year.”

Mekies insists Red Bull is in “full attack mode” to return to winning ways in F1.

“We try to do everything we can to make sure this is not a transition year, despite the size of the challenge, despite the new power unit challenge," he said. "We want to make sure that we are not in a transition year. No. We are not at all in that mode. We are in full attack mode,” he added.

“As we said, not happy about the starting point. But if you walk in Milton Keynes right now, there is fire in every single department. There is a burning fire of wanting to go back as fast as possible to a more competitive car, to a better position.

“And that's what you feel in Milton Keynes today, is that burning drive to get enough understanding and development to the car, in a way that we can outperform the development of the competition and get back up.”