Red Bull Racing, one of the most dominant teams in recent Formula 1 history, is facing its worst crisis in a decade during the 2025 season. Sitting only fourth in the Constructors’ Championship with 172 points—a third of the 460 points held by leaders McLaren after 12 races—the Austrian team is grappling with the dismissal of long-time team principal Christian Horner, the departure of key figures like Adrian Newey, and rumors of Max Verstappen’s potential transfer to Mercedes. These issues, compounded by driver changes and a less competitive car, have put RBR in a precarious position in the fight for the top. The crisis began taking shape in 2024 with McLaren’s rise and internal struggles, solidifying in 2025 as the team’s worst performance since 2015. This article details the factors behind this decline and the challenges RBR faces.
The 2025 season started with high expectations for RBR, fueled by Max Verstappen’s four consecutive titles from 2021 to 2024. However, the inconsistent performance of the RB21 car and instability in team management have compromised results. Verstappen, despite remaining the team’s main asset, has won only two races so far, a stark contrast to his previous dominance. Horner’s exit, after leading the team to six constructors’ titles and eight drivers’ titles, was a turning point.
- Leadership changes: Christian Horner was replaced by Laurent Mekies, former head of sister team Racing Bulls, in July 2025.
- Key departures: Adrian Newey, legendary designer, and Jonathan Wheatley, sporting director, left RBR in 2024, weakening the technical structure.
- Driver instability: The second seat saw three drivers in a year, with Sergio Pérez, Liam Lawson, and Yuki Tsunoda struggling to match Verstappen.
- Fierce competition: McLaren, Ferrari, and Mercedes have outperformed RBR, with McLaren leading the constructors’ standings.
These factors have transformed RBR, once invincible, into a team fighting to stay relevant this season. The pressure now falls on Mekies and Verstappen to turn things around before the 2026 regulation changes.
Horner’s dismissal and its consequences
Christian Horner’s departure, announced on July 9, 2025, marked the end of an era for Red Bull Racing. After 20 years leading the team, the Briton oversaw historic achievements, including four drivers’ titles with Sebastian Vettel (2010-2013) and four with Max Verstappen (2021-2024). His dismissal, decided by Red Bull GmbH, followed a season of subpar results and internal tensions dating back to 2024. Horner faced allegations of improper conduct early last year but was cleared after an internal investigation. Still, the case sparked instability, with disputes involving consultant Helmut Marko and Jos Verstappen, Max’s father.
Laurent Mekies, who took over, brings experience as Ferrari’s former technical director and Racing Bulls’ team principal. His arrival aims to restructure the team, but the challenge is steep. RBR has lost technical and strategic consistency, and Mekies must navigate the pressure to recover lost ground in an already compromised season. The transition comes at a critical time, with the team focused on RB21 upgrades and preparing for the 2026 regulations, which will introduce fully sustainable fuel-powered engines.
Loss of key technical figures
Adrian Newey’s exit, the designer behind RBR’s championship-winning cars, was a significant blow. Newey, who moved to Aston Martin, left a technical void reflected in the RB21’s performance. The 2025 car, the first without Newey’s direct influence in 18 years, struggles with balance and tire degradation, particularly on technical circuits. Pre-season tests in Bahrain revealed issues with understeer and instability in corners, limiting the team’s competitiveness.
Jonathan Wheatley’s departure, as sporting director, further weakened RBR’s ability to execute effective race strategies. These exits occurred in 2024, a period when McLaren began outperforming RBR in consistency and speed. The loss of these key figures has hindered car development, which has failed to keep pace with rivals like McLaren, Ferrari, and Mercedes.
Instability in the second seat
The second RBR car has been a weak point in 2025. Sergio Pérez, criticized for inconsistent performances in 2024, was replaced by Liam Lawson at the season’s start. The New Zealander, promoted from Racing Bulls, struggled to adapt to the RB21 and was dropped after two pointless races. Yuki Tsunoda, also from Racing Bulls, took over from the Japanese GP but has faced challenges. He has scored points in only four of ten races, with a sixth place as his best result.
The second seat’s instability highlights a recurring issue for RBR: finding a driver to complement Verstappen. Since 2022, with the introduction of ground-effect cars, development has focused on Verstappen’s aggressive driving style, favoring a car with high front-end responsiveness. This makes the RB21 challenging for other drivers, who struggle with its sensitivity.
- Adaptation challenges: Liam Lawson qualified last in his two races, underscoring the difficulty of mastering the RB21.
- Tsunoda’s performance: The Japanese driver, despite more experience, hasn’t closed the gap to Verstappen, who is up to seven-tenths faster in qualifying.
- Historical instability: Drivers like Daniil Kvyat, Pierre Gasly, and Alex Albon also struggled to match Verstappen, reinforcing RBR’s “one-car team” trend.
Rise of the competition
McLaren leads the 2025 Constructors’ Championship with 460 points, driven by the consistency of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. The British team won races in Melbourne, Shanghai, and other tracks, capitalizing on a well-balanced MCL39 car. Ferrari, with Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, climbed to second place after podiums in Monaco and Spain. Mercedes, in second, shows signs of strengthening with George Russell and newcomer Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
RBR struggles on circuits with medium- and low-speed corners, where tire management is critical. Verstappen noted that the RB21 is the fourth-fastest car in race pace, trailing McLaren, Ferrari, and Mercedes. Upgrades introduced in Miami, Imola, and Barcelona improved balance but weren’t enough to reclaim the lead.
Rumors about Verstappen
Max Verstappen, a four-time F1 champion, is RBR’s cornerstone, but rumors of a move to Mercedes gained traction in 2025. Despite his contract running until 2028, performance clauses could allow a transfer, especially with Mercedes’ promising outlook for 2026. Verstappen, who has won only two races in 2025, is 69 points behind leader Oscar Piastri and admitted the drivers’ title is out of reach.
The possibility of Verstappen leaving is fueled by the team’s instability and Horner’s exit, with whom he had a strong relationship. At the British GP, Verstappen downplayed the rumors, but uncertainty persists. His departure would be a devastating blow to RBR, which relies heavily on his points to stay competitive.
Comparison with past seasons
The 2025 season marks RBR’s worst first-half performance since 2015, when the team also sat fourth with 63 points. Back then, RBR struggled with Renault engines and relied on Daniel Ricciardo and Daniil Kvyat. Despite similarities, the current situation is more severe due to the expectations set by recent titles and fiercer competition.
- Historical scoring: In 2023, RBR amassed 452 points in the first half, compared to just 172 in 2025.
- Lost dominance: Between 2021 and 2024, RBR won three constructors’ titles and four drivers’ titles, contrasting with their current fourth place.
- Verstappen factor: In 2015, the team relied less on one driver, with Ricciardo and Kvyat securing podiums, unlike today’s dependence on Verstappen.
Preparation for 2026
With the 2026 regulations approaching, RBR is splitting efforts between improving the RB21 and developing a new engine with Ford. The team plans tests for the Red Bull Ford Powertrains engine, set for use in 2026 when cars will be lighter and powered by sustainable fuels. The transition requires RBR to resolve internal issues quickly to avoid falling further behind rivals.
The team also faces pressure to retain Verstappen, whose performance is vital for future plans. Mekies’ arrival may bring a fresh strategic approach, but success hinges on RBR regaining its technical and competitive cohesion.
RB21 technical challenges
The RB21 showed issues from pre-season testing, with balance and understeer problems limiting performance on technical tracks. Upgrades, such as a new floor in Miami and front wing changes in Barcelona, brought improvements but didn’t address core issues. Verstappen noted a lack of grip in long corners, impacting race pace, particularly compared to McLaren.
The team also struggles with tire adaptation. In Shanghai, Verstappen faced excessive wear on medium tires, losing nearly a second per lap to leaders. RBR continues aerodynamic testing, like using flo-vis paint on sidepods in Bahrain, to better understand the car’s behavior.
Drivers’ perspective
Yuki Tsunoda, now in the second seat, acknowledged the RB21’s challenges. In interviews, he noted the car requires constant steering adjustments, affecting consistency in fast laps. Verstappen continues to extract the car’s maximum potential but admitted the team needs significant changes to contend for the title.
The pressure on Tsunoda is high, especially after Lawson’s brief stint. RBR hopes the Japanese driver, with more ground-effect car experience, can provide technical feedback to improve the RB21. However, the performance gap between him and Verstappen remains a hurdle.
Current competitive landscape
McLaren dominates 2025, with Norris and Piastri forming a consistent duo. Ferrari, driven by Leclerc’s podiums, holds second, while Mercedes, with Russell and Antonelli, shows recovery signs. RBR, with 172 points, is 38 points behind Mercedes and struggles for regular podiums.
With 24 races in 2025, 12 GPs and four sprints remain. RBR plans major upgrades for Austria and Silverstone, but Verstappen warned that rivals are also evolving. The team must maximize points in upcoming races to avoid a worse outcome.