F1 expert sees a huge problem at Red Bull amid turbulent season so far

09:53, 21 Jul

byHidde Korte

F1 technical pundit Gary Anderson has delved into an analysis of Red Bull’s season so far — from Max Verstappen’s heroics in an underperforming RB21, to the struggles of the second driver, and even the potential positive effects that Christian Horner’s dismissal could bring.

The 2025 season has been something of an uphill battle so far, with the Milton Keynes-based team sitting only fourth in the Constructors' Championship and Max Verstappen frequently having to go above and beyond to keep the RB21 in contention for podiums and wins.

''The fact Red Bull is second on my performance rankings but fourth in the constructors’ championship shows it is the epitome of a one-car team,'' Gary Anderson highlighted this in a recent piece published on The Race.

''Having one driver doing all the heavy lifting is not the way to win the constructors’ championship because Verstappen can only drive one car at a time.''

Verstappen with Tsunoda, who is struggling at Red Bull, photo: Red Bull Contentpool

As the results show, Red Bull has effectively been able to rely solely on Verstappen to score points and deliver strong performances, with both Liam Lawson earlier in the season and Yuki Tsunoda later on struggling significantly in comparison to the Dutchman.

''In the second car, both Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda are unquestionably competent drivers,'' Anderson added.

''But taking on the pressure of being in a frontrunning team alongside a great like Verstappen is not just about being competent. Their results reflect that even with the difficulties of the car, they weren't and aren’t doing anywhere near enough.''

Horner's dismissal may lead to improvements at Red Bull

Christian Horner was recently fired from Red Bull Racing. Laurent Mekies was appointed as his successor, and this could potentially be good news for Red Bull, Anderson thinks: ''With Christian Horner now removed as team principal, Red Bull needs to regroup and open its collective eyes to the reality of what’s going wrong.''

''I’m not blaming Horner for this, but sometimes you need a major shock to wake everyone up and shake them into action.''

The first Grand Prix without Horner is set to take place this weekend. On Sunday, July 27, the Belgian GP will be held at Spa-Francorchamps, where Max Verstappen will look to keep his championship hopes alive. Ahead of the race, Helmut Marko shared some key news concerning the Dutchman.