Verstappen sheds light on Red Bull theory: Was the RB21 better than everyone thought?

After struggling through the first half of the season with a car that operated in a very narrow window, Red Bull has turned a corner in recent races. Max Verstappen took back-to-back Formula 1 victories, and he says the step in performance is about more than just new parts.  

With two dominant wins in Monza and Baku, and a front-row start in Singapore, Red Bull has shown significant progress in recent weeks. It even makes Verstappen a potential factor in the title fight – although the Dutchman himself doesn’t want to get too carried away just yet. 

The Singapore Grand Prix weekend has so far demonstrated that Red Bull’s resurgence isn’t limited to low-downforce tracks like Monza and Baku. Singapore requires a high-downforce set-up, and even with that configuration the team has remained competitive, at least over a single lap. Verstappen will have to start behind George Russell – partly due to his moment of frustration with Lando Norris – but he still lines up ahead of both McLarens. 

Verstappen “couldn’t have imagined this” in Zandvoort 

“It worked out pretty well,” Verstappen said when asked whether the high-downforce test for Red Bull had gone as planned. “If you’d told me before the weekend that things would go like this, I would’ve signed for it right away. This has always been a track that’s been really tough for us. The fact that we were seriously fighting for pole-position is already a very good sign.” 

It underlines the upward trend – one that even Verstappen himself couldn’t have imagined back in Zandvoort. “Nobody expected this to be honest. But of course, there are reasons why things are suddenly working better now. I just can’t say what those reasons are,” he added with a smile. 

One of the reasons is believed to be the new floor that Red Bull introduced in Monza. It has helped, but Verstappen made clear during his Dutch media session in the Singapore paddock that it’s not the main factor. 

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Mark Thompson / Getty Images

“Well, everything helps, of course, but that’s not the full reason,” he explained. Asked what is the most important factor, Verstappen replied: “A different philosophy.” 

It refers to a new working approach – one that seems to be paying off in recent weekends. Verstappen doesn’t want to go into details, but Red Bull has not needed to completely overhaul the car set-up after Friday, something that was often the case earlier this season. “That’s correct. Now we can fine-tune the car more throughout the weekend, and that’s the most important thing.” 

Was there (much) more potential in the RB21 earlier this year? 

This naturally raises another key question: has this potential been in the car all along? It’s a “what if” scenario that ultimately changes nothing in the standings, but it’s still an intriguing one as it suggests that the RB21 might not have been as bad as many thought. Instead, maybe Red Bull just wasn't able to unlock its performance consistently. 

When asked about that theory by Autosport, Verstappen confirmed it for the first time: “That’s pretty clear, yes. But there’s nothing we can do about that now.” 

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / LAT Images via Getty Images

He admitted that, with the lessons Red Bull has learned in recent weeks, the team could have extracted more from its 2025 challenger earlier in the year. “At the start of the season, for sure – absolutely,” Verstappen admitted. 

That knowledge may come too late for a fifth world title, but it has made Red Bull far more competitive in the closing stages of the season. When asked whether Singapore proves that Red Bull can now be competitive on any circuit, Verstappen added a small note of caution.  

“You still have to find the optimal setup every weekend,” he explained. “The gaps are so small now that a tiny mistake in set-up or something else can have big consequences. We have to look into that carefully every single weekend.” 

Still, Verstappen acknowledged that the team’s improved execution is a big positive in that regard, making it much more likely to hit the sweet spot. “That’s definitely the most encouraging thing, yes.”