Team principal Christian Horner has addressed the progress that Red Bull have made on the RB21 since pre-season testing, as they kicked off their 2025 campaign by securing a podium with Max Verstappen at the F1 Australian GP.
The Milton Keynes outfit wasn’t completely satisfied with the performance of the RB21 in Bahrain. However, they appear to have taken a step forward in both qualifying and race trim in Melbourne.
While Red Bull’s newest recruit Liam Lawson is still getting to grips with the new machinery, Verstappen managed to qualify right behind the rapid McLarens last Saturday.
The dramatic rain-affected race on Sunday saw Lawson endure a late crash after his disappointing P16 start. Meanwhile, the Dutchman displayed his skilful driving in the rain yet again and finished in second place, only 0.895s behind the newest championship leader, Lando Norris.
Calmer RB21 provides a dynamic platform for development
When asked in his post-race print media session whether they have gained a better understanding of the car since F1 testing, Horner responded that Red Bull had deliberately made some extreme modifications to the RB21 in Bahrain in order to test the limit of its set-up directions.
Moreover, with regard to the characteristics that their new single-seater boasts, the 51-year-old stated that it is more docile in comparison to its challenging predecessor. Horner also added that it provides a favourable platform to work on and conceptualise subsequent upgrades as the season progresses from the F1 Australian GP.
“We did some big set-up changes in Bahrain. So, we purposely did. We wanted to go to extremes to understand the set-up parameters so that you’ve got your toolbox of knowledge when you go racing.
“I think the characteristics that this car has is much calmer than the RB20. So, I think actually there’s a platform to develop through the season.
“There’s not the nasty snaps that there was on the RB20. So, that gives us a good dynamic platform for us to develop the car through the season and through all the different races that we’re going to head to.”
Horner says McLaren hit the sweet spot of car balance in Melbourne
In terms of whether Red Bull can attain optimal tyre management if they manage to balance the car perfectly, the Brit commented that finding the right balance depends on the interaction among aerodynamic and mechanical components of an F1 car.
Horner specifically underscored the minimal tyre degradation that McLaren experienced throughout the race weekend at the F1 Australian GP. He asserted that the Woking-based team had managed to hit the “sweet spot” when it came to optimising the balance of the MCL39 with regard to the specific traits of the Albert Park Circuit.
“Yes, when you’ve got a car that’s very well-balanced, the whole world looks different. It’s always an interaction between aero and mechanical.
“You can see the McLaren; they’ve got it in a very sweet spot. Particularly for this circuit [Albert Park]. And then with that comes very good degradation. The car’s very kind on its tyres.”
Red Bull to explore more limitations of the car at Chinese GP as Horner predicts McLaren dominance
While he expects the Chinese GP to offer a more representative picture of the pecking order after treacherous weather conditions masked the true performance of many teams in Melbourne, the 51-year-old revealed that the Milton Keynes-based squad is hesitant to set any expectations ahead of the race weekend.
Highlighting the historical trend that the Shanghai International Circuit stands at odds with the forte of their cars, Horner nonetheless stated that Red Bull are looking forward to further exploring the strengths and weaknesses of the RB21 this weekend.
At the same time, Horner also proclaimed that McLaren would carry over their advantage from the F1 Australian GP to Shanghai and that he is keen to observe how the balance shifts at this race circuit.
“Expectations are difficult to set ahead of China.
“This track historically for us, even in our strongest days, has never played to our strengths. I think the fact that we’ve only won this race twice in 20 years shows it’s quite a tricky circuit for us.
“I think we’re looking forward to going to China and learning more about the car, more about some of its limitations.
“McLaren will be quick there; I’ve got no doubts about that. It’ll be interesting to see how the balance moves around.”
