While most F1 teams have already turned their attention to 2026 development, Red Bull is still refining its 2025 car. The team introduced a new floor at Monza, a front wing in Singapore, and a further floor upgrade in Mexico. Unlike other outfits that focused on altitude-related cooling tweaks, Red Bull went further with a performance-focused update.
This aggressive development path raises a critical question: Will Red Bull pay a price in 2026 for continuing to invest resources into the current car?
“About this time next year we’ll get an honest answer, won’t we?” Paul Monaghan, Red Bull chief engineer, smiled when asked by Motorsport.com if Red Bull will pay a price for it. He clarified that the upgrade isn’t a completely new floor: “We have taken the choice, and it’s a make from. So it’s a previous floor that we’ve managed to recycle as it was sufficiently modular to get it here.”
Modular Floor Upgrade and Cooling Tweaks
Alongside the new floor, the team also refined the top bodywork to boost cooling efficiency and build on earlier learnings.
“The redistribution of cooling exits was found when we went through the last iteration of top bodywork,” Monaghan explained. “We thought, we’ve missed that one, and thanks to some magical work, in Milton Keynes it’s here. So all credit to everybody that pitched in and got that done, because you’re absolutely right: we’re in the midst of 2026, yet we’ve managed to do that for here. If we enjoy the benefits of it, then it’s all worth it.”
Red Bull’s stance contrasts sharply with McLaren’s. The Woking outfit has stopped developing its 2025 car, fearing it would undercut next year’s project. Red Bull, meanwhile, used its slightly larger wind tunnel and CFD allowance to keep pushing forward.
Verstappen Highlights Shift in Car Philosophy
Despite the clear performance step since Monza, Max Verstappen insists that the turnaround is about more than just new components. The team’s philosophical shift and improved understanding of the RB21 have been equally significant.
“I think there are many things that come together,” Monaghan reacted. “I don’t mean to contradict Max, and I don’t know exactly what he has said. But a lot of work went in, even from the very early races of this season, to try and give ourselves a better car.
“We thought we’d identified what was wrong, and it took us a couple of steps to really get to that, and not just take a load of downforce out of the car.
“The combination of things as we arrived towards Monza was that the car has been a lot better. I wouldn’t have said it’s one thing in isolation. It’s not one or two set-up items, and it’s not necessarily some bodywork geometries. Many things happened in the right order.”
Performance Was Hiding in Plain Sight
According to Monaghan, Red Bull’s recent leap forward isn’t a sudden discovery — the potential was always there, just not fully unlocked.
“Don’t forget we were on pole in Silverstone with a Monza wing, so how do you want to judge that one versus going to Monza? The car got a little bit better again, and fortunately Monza was dry, not wet, like Silverstone. So there you are.”
The upgrades have delivered consistent results across multiple circuits with different downforce demands — a crucial indicator of overall progress.
“I’m not surprised [by our progress] as such, because you know what’s there. We’re just getting all the bits together. What pleased me the most was the different downforce tracks that we’ve been to. Monza and Baku were similar levels of downforce, and you’re thinking, OK, we’re going to go to a high downforce, are we all right? We were, so game on!”
A Calculated Trade-Off for the Future
Red Bull’s decision to keep refining the 2025 package is clearly strategic. While it brings short-term performance, it could also divert some engineering bandwidth from the 2026 project. McLaren’s Andrea Stella openly admitted that continuing 2025 development would have compromised their long-term goals — a risk Red Bull seems more willing to accept.
Whether this approach pays off or backfires will only be clear next season. For now, Red Bull appears confident that the performance gains in 2025 justify the investment.
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