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Red Bull Racing Plans Upgrades to Catch McLaren

Red Bull Racing is set to introduce performance upgrades aimed at addressing its current gap with McLaren within the next “three to five races,” according to team advisor Helmut Marko. Despite having world champion Max Verstappen and newcomer Liam Lawson behind the wheel, Red Bull finds itself trailing McLaren, which has displayed dominance since the season’s onset.

McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri showcased their speed by securing the front row in the Australian Grand Prix, outperforming Verstappen by three-tenths of a second. The race highlighted the challenges for Red Bull as Lawson faced an early exit due to a crash, while a spin from Piastri helped Verstappen finish second. Nonetheless, Norris maintained a solid lead, emphasizing the performance disparity between the teams.

Marko acknowledged that tyre degradation is a critical issue for Red Bull, noting, “We realized during the Bahrain tests that McLaren was significantly quicker than us. We managed to reduce the gap from half a second to two or three tenths, but we struggle with tyre wear after six to eight laps.”

“This is our primary concern, along with some additional issues that we are aware of,” he added. “We are putting in the effort to address these problems, and we hope to have a vehicle that competes on par with McLaren shortly.”

As the clock ticks down, Red Bull is under pressure to recover lost ground before shifting focus to the new regulations set for 2026. The team experienced challenges last year, struggling with development missteps that hindered the balance of their 2024 car.

Optimism from Leadership

Team principal Christian Horner expressed optimism regarding the 2025 model, which he believes has provided a more stable foundation for development. He asserts that enhancing the overall balance of the car will mitigate some of the tyre wear concerns experienced in the early races.

“A well-balanced car changes everything,” Horner noted. “The characteristics of this vehicle are much more stable compared to the RB20, which had unpredictable moments. This gives us a solid base from which to improve our performance throughout the season.”

In conclusion, Red Bull Racing is determined to close the performance gap with McLaren in the upcoming races, leveraging both upgrades and improved car balance to enhance competitiveness in the 2025 season.

Tags:
Formula 1,
Red Bull Racing,
McLaren

Source
www.autosport.com