How Max Verstappen was able to mask major Red Bull 2025 problems

Analysing Red Bull's season in terms of the actual competitiveness of the RB21 is more complex than it might appear. 

This is because the car's performance throughout the season has not been linear, with not only negative phases but also periods of stagnation in terms of performance and development, which were difficult to imagine could evolve differently towards the end of the season. 

In fact, it is fair to point out that the season started with an RB21 that was competitive but not quite on par with McLaren, with the exception of the Japanese Grand Prix, the third race on the calendar. 

It gradually became apparent that the RB21, except in specific conditions such as those at Suzuka, where there are long, sweeping corners and a very technical layout that favoured grip, especially at the rear, was not particularly effective on tracks with fast and precise changes of direction.

In short, the RB21 did not seem to have found the balance that Max Verstappen himself believed had been lost during the previous season. That said, it is correct to analyse the 2025 season, certainly considering the statements made by Laurent Mekies, who said that the development of the RB21 was carried out primarily with the intention of understanding what had not worked on several occasions, rather than to generate a real increase in performance. 

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From the floor upgrade delivered in time for the Italian Grand Prix, it became clear that on different track layouts and in different environmental conditions, the behaviour of the RB21 was more in line with expectations and, above all, with the data that emerged from simulations. 

However, it is equally true that on some tracks, such as Interlagos, which on paper seemed particularly suited to enhancing the car's characteristics, performance proved to be the exact opposite of what was expected. 

This data, taken out of context, shows that the developments which took place after the summer break, except for the Monza floor, which brought a radical improvement in the behaviour of the RB21, were not decisive in terms of performance improvement. 

In essence, the temperamental nature of Verstappen's car remained unchanged until the end of the season, with the difference that its dynamic behaviour was more predictable than before, and therefore more controllable, not only by the driver but also in terms of setup.

The RB21 showed a nature totally in line with the previous car, gradually following a very slow decline in performance, which, almost as had happened last year, seemed less marked towards the end of the year, especially in comparison with McLaren in the standings, but certainly not in terms of performance.

In a sense, it seems fair to say that if Verstappen had won the drivers' title, the result would only have superficially masked the vulnerabilities of the RB21 project, which ultimately remained far behind the MCL39 in terms of pure performance.