Red Bull is walking a pretty tight rope this season. As the 2025 Formula One calendar nears its final stretch, the Milton Keynes-based team is trying to keep one eye on this year’s championship fight with Max Verstappen and the other on the major rule changes coming in 2026.
However, according to Red Bull team boss Laurent Mekies, that balance comes with a cost, which is one he said the Austrian outfit is willing to pay.
What Is Red Bull’s Bold Call Regarding Adjustments?
While most teams have already shifted their focus to 2026, Red Bull continues to roll out new upgrades on the RB21, with minor updates being implemented and helping Verstappen stay in the mix for another title, with only a few races remaining to decide it all.
On the other hand, McLaren is taking a calmer route and has since slowed development to focus on building its next-generation car under the new technical regulations. On the other hand, Red Bull’s decision to continue pushing means they may be sacrificing valuable preparation time for immediate results in the coming season.
However, Mekies isn’t second-guessing the move, “We are doing it this way because we think, for us, let alone the other guys, it’s a net gain. We validate our approaches. For 2026, if we thought it would compromise it, we would not be doing it. We know there is a price to pay, we think it’s reasonable and we think it’s worth it.”
“Of course, it comes at a cost, undoubtedly, to the ’26 project but we feel it’s the right trade-off for us without judging what the other guys are doing,” he added.
Laurent Mekies Behind the Plan
Mekies might be new to his role at Red Bull. Still, he’s far from new to Formula One, as before joining the team, he held key positions at Ferrari, Red Bull, and the FIA, where he built a reputation for being level-headed and technically sharp.
Now as Red Bull’s team principal he’s the one guiding the reigning champions through one of their toughest balancing acts in years.
Mekies explained that the upgrades aren’t just about giving Verstappen a better shot at this year’s title, but also help the team test and refine their tools, such as simulation data and wind tunnel setups, which will shape the 2026 car.
“It’s important that we get to the bottom of it, because we will elaborate on next year’s project even if the regulations are completely different with the same tools, with the same methodology,” he said. “It’s very important that we validate, with this year’s car, that our way of looking at the data is correct…. that will give us confidence in the winter for next year’s car.”
McLaren Takes a Different Path
On the other hand, McLaren boss Andrea Stella believes that spending time on this year’s car could hurt future progress: “The 2026 project would be heavily compromised. We want to win championships in the future. To win a championship in the future, you need to have a competitive car. I think we have been very considerate in the timing of switching our full resources to 2026.”
Stella added that McLaren’s car has reached its aerodynamic limits, meaning further upgrades wouldn’t deliver significant improvements. In contrast, Red Bull still has room to grow, which explains why it’s worth continuing the effort.
The reality is that both approaches have merit, as Red Bull might be giving up a bit of future preparation for a shot at present glory, while McLaren is banking on long-term dominance.
Mekies has made it clear that Red Bull’s current updates are not just about winning a race but also about sharpening every tool in their engineering arsenal before the new era begins. Whether the gamble pays off will become clear soon enough, but Red Bull seems happy to walk that fine line even if it means paying the price later.