Max Verstappen almost achieves the impossible as Red Bull embark on new era

Red Bull's 2025 campaign proved to be a tale of what might have been, as the Milton Keynes-based outfit fell to third in the constructors' championship despite Max Verstappen's individual excellence.

The Dutchman secured eight victories across the 24-race calendar, keeping himself in championship contention until the final race in Abu Dhabi. Yet his heroic efforts ultimately fell two points short of denying Lando Norris the drivers' crown, marking the end of Verstappen's four-year reign as the #1 in F1.

Verstappen's performance throughout 2025 stands as perhaps his finest individual campaign, overcoming a 104-point deficit at the season's midpoint to bring the championship fight to its dramatic conclusion. 

His victories at Emilia-Romagna, Monza, Azerbaijan, Las Vegas, Qatar and Abu Dhabi showcased the four-time champion's ability to extract maximum performance from machinery that frequently struggled for balance.

Verstappen did this all despite serious changes within Red Bull's leadership, with Christian Horner having been axed after Silverstone and replaced by Laurent Mekies. Helmut Marko has also left ahead of 2026.

While Verstappen carried Red Bull's championship aspirations, the team's second seat became a glaring weakness that ultimately cost them dear in the constructors' battle. 

Yuki Tsunoda's promotion from Racing Bulls in April promised to provide the Japanese driver with his first opportunity in championship-winning machinery, yet the reality proved far more challenging.

Tsunoda's struggles manifested most clearly in qualifying, where he averaged a six-tenths deficit to Verstappen in dry conditions and suffered 10 Q1 eliminations. His 33-point tally across 22 races with Red Bull highlighted the vast performance gap between teammates, with Verstappen accumulating 385 points over the same period.

The numbers paint a stark picture of Tsunoda's difficulties: across 1,386 laps, he spent just 230 in the top eight positions. His best result came with sixth place in Azerbaijan, but such performances proved frustratingly rare for a driver in what should have been race-winning equipment.

Red Bull's major 2026 challenge

Red Bull's championship challenge was fundamentally undermined by the RB21's persistent handling characteristics, which team insiders described as suffering from chronic understeer in slower, longer corners. 

The car's disconnected front-to-rear balance had plagued the team since mid-2023, and despite incremental improvements, including a major upgrade package at Spa featuring revised nosecone and front wing profiles, the fundamental issues remained.

The team's aging wind tunnel facility contributed to development constraints, though plans for a new facility in 2026 offer hope for future campaigns. Even with Verstappen's exceptional driving, the RB21 simply could not consistently match McLaren's pace on a regular basis.

Red Bull enters next season facing its most significant transformation since the hybrid era began. The team will manufacture its own power units for the first time, developed at Milton Keynes in partnership with Ford, marking the American manufacturer's return to F1.

This technical revolution coincides with a driver refresh, as Isack Hadjar steps up from Racing Bulls to partner Verstappen. The French driver's promotion follows the Red Bull tradition of rapid advancement for promising talent, with Hadjar having built confidence throughout his 2025 campaign with the sister team.

Yet Mekies has warned against excessive optimism, acknowledging it would be naive to expect immediate success with the new power unit regulations. Red Bull must compete against established manufacturers while navigating the complexities of first-time engine development, potentially facing what Mekies described as "very tough months" during the transition period.

The 2026 season's expanded pre-season testing programme, featuring three separate three-day sessions, will prove crucial for Red Bull's adaptation to both their new power unit and the revised chassis regulations. 

Success in this venture could restore Red Bull to championship-winning form, while failure might consign them to a longer rebuilding period, potentially without Verstappen.