TEAM PREVIEW: Amid team changes and a new driver, can Red Bull reclaim the Constructors’ crown in 2025?
In one way it’s business as usual for Red Bull entering into 2025, with Max Verstappen again ready to defend his title after sealing his fourth consecutive World Championship. But in other respects the picture has changed dramatically from this time last year, given the departures of some high-profile figures within the team as well as the arrival of a new driver – and not to mention the loss of the Constructors’ Championship. Here’s the lowdown on the Milton Keynes-based outfit ahead of the campaign…
Drivers for 2025
Max Verstappen #1: 4 World Championships, 63 Grand Prix wins, 112 podiums, 40 pole positions, 3023.5 points, 209 starts
Liam Lawson #30: 6 points, best finish of P9, 11 starts
It’s season number 10 as a Red Bull driver for Max Verstappen, who arrives into the campaign having taken perhaps his most hard fought Drivers’ Championship yet.
This achievement has elevated the Dutchman even further into the upper echelons of the record books, making him one of only six drivers to score four World Championships while his victory tally of 63 has put him third in the all-time list.
He may not have enjoyed the dominance of 2023 last year, but Verstappen truly showed his mettle and remains a fierce opponent for those hoping to challenge him.
Meanwhile it’s all change on the other side of the garage. Following the exit of Sergio Perez after a tough season for the Mexican, Liam Lawson has been promoted after impressing during his previous super-sub stints for Racing Bulls. Given the loss of the Constructors’ Championship last time out, the pressure will be on the New Zealander to help the team bounce back.
Red Bull entered 2024 off the back of one of the most dominant campaigns in the sport’s history – and initially it looked like that trend would continue when Verstappen led a 1-2 finish in the opening two rounds of the campaign, with the Dutch driver winning seven out of the 10 first races.
But then a long winless streak followed – 10 races long, to be exact – as the RB20 no longer looked to be the strongest car in the field. McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes closed in on the reigning champions, resulting in one of the most competitive seasons in recent memory.
Meanwhile various changes were unfolding within the team, the most high-profile of which being the announcement in May that Chief Technical Officer Adrian Newey was set to leave. It was then confirmed in August that Sporting Director Jonathan Wheatley would also exit to become Team Principal of the Audi F1 Team.
Back on the track, Verstappen continued to get the most out of the team’s challenger despite its issues – but the same could not be said for Perez. The Mexican never stood on the podium again after Round 5 in China and, with the team subsequently not able to rely on both drivers scoring points, they slipped from first to third in the Constructors’ Championship.
Shortly after making a sublime return to winning ways in Sao Paulo, Verstappen sealed his fourth Drivers’ Championship in Las Vegas. Perez, meanwhile, continued to face speculation over his future – and it was announced soon after the season’s end that he and the team had reached an agreement to part ways with immediate effect.
It has been quite the journey for Red Bull since they first entered the sport as a constructor back in 2005, with the drinks company taking over the outfit that had formerly been Jaguar.
After scoring the occasional podium during their first few seasons, the team had to wait until 2009 for their debut victory courtesy of Sebastian Vettel. The squad’s partnership with the German would go on to bring them four consecutive Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships between 2010 and 2013.
Mercedes took over as the dominant force in the sport when the turbo-hybrid era began in 2014 – but Red Bull have again experienced championship success with Max Verstappen in recent years, meaning that they now hold a total of six Constructors’ titles and eight Drivers’ Championships.
They also now rank as having the fourth highest number of wins in the sport’s history on 122 – only seven behind third-placed Mercedes – as well as taking 282 podiums and 103 pole positions.
