Red Bull acknowledges paying in 2026 for the efforts made at the end of last season and intends to avoid repeating the same scenario.
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Red Bull does not intend to repeat in 2026 the strategy that marked the end of the previous season. Laurent Mekies confirmed that the Austrian team will shift its resources more quickly towards the development of its 2027 car.
Last year, Max Verstappen made a spectacular comeback in the championship. Dropped to more than 100 points behind after the Dutch Grand Prix, the Dutchman came back to just two points behind Lando Norris by the end of the season.
To support this attempt to win a fifth consecutive title, Red Bull continued to develop its car very late into the season. A choice that the team now acknowledges has some consequences.
Red Bull acknowledges having paid for its 2025 efforts
The situation was particularly delicate since the 2026 season marked the arrival of a new technical regulation. Every resource dedicated to the 2025 car could therefore not be used to prepare this new generation of cars.
Nevertheless, Red Bull chose to prioritize the fight for the championship, unlike McLaren, which shifted its efforts more quickly towards its 2026 project.
The start of the current season seems to have illustrated the consequences of this decision. Red Bull has often had the third, or even fourth, fastest car behind Mercedes, Ferrari, and McLaren.
“Did the time and energy invested in this late push last year influence our situation at the start of 2026? Of course,” admits Laurent Mekies to De Telegraaf. “We are paying a bit of the price today. Are we using it as an excuse? No.”
Fewer upgrades for the RB22
The sporting situation is now very different. Verstappen is no longer engaged in such a tight title fight and Red Bull occupies fourth place in the constructors’ championship, 43 points behind McLaren.
Significant upgrades introduced just before the summer break have certainly helped the RB22 reduce some of its deficit, but Mekies warns that the development pace will now slow down.
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“We are in a completely different situation than last year, when we were engaged in a race to come back and were still in contention for the title until the end,” explains the Frenchman.
“So you won’t see us push as hard this season as last year.”
This does not mean that Red Bull will completely abandon its current car. Some upgrades are still planned over the next Grands Prix, but they will be fewer than at the end of the 2025 season.
The 2027 RB23 becomes the priority
After the summer break, an increasing share of Red Bull’s resources will therefore be dedicated to the 2027 RB23. Since the regulations will evolve much less than during the previous winter, some lessons learned from the RB22 can also be applied to its successor.
“After the summer break, most of our attention will shift to next year’s car. I think that’s perfectly normal,” Mekies continues.
“There will still be upgrades this year, but fewer than those we introduced in 2025. Only time will tell if we can quickly close the gap.”
The Red Bull director especially wants the final decision regarding resource allocation to come earlier than last season.
“At some point, we have to decide the balance between this year and next year. I hope this decision will be made earlier than last year.”
Red Bull thus accepts potentially sacrificing part of its short-term development to better prepare for 2027. A strategy aimed at avoiding that pursuing immediate goals penalizes the start of the following season once again.
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