2025 Oracle Red Bull Racing F1 Team

[AR3-GP]

Speaking to media including Motorsport Week after the race, Norris theorised that the Imola circuit provided a similar relief to Red Bull, and saw the tables turned on McLaren.

“It didn’t really feel great anywhere, to be honest,” Norris, who came home second behind Verstappen, said.

“Yeah, I don’t know. It didn’t feel wonderful to drive. But sometimes it doesn’t, you know, and you’re just quick. So it’s a little bit difficult to say.

“It’s just a very bumpy track. A lot of these high-speed corners where we seem to maybe struggle a little bit comparing to the Red Bulls.

“That’s where we suffered the whole season so far is the high-speed corners. So we have to work in that area.

RB21 working on bumpy track.
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/05/ ... -red-bull/

[Chuckjr]

Max's focus is that of a champion. Great to see.

[Waz]

Speaking to media including Motorsport Week after the race, Norris theorised that the Imola circuit provided a similar relief to Red Bull, and saw the tables turned on McLaren.

“It didn’t really feel great anywhere, to be honest,” Norris, who came home second behind Verstappen, said.

“Yeah, I don’t know. It didn’t feel wonderful to drive. But sometimes it doesn’t, you know, and you’re just quick. So it’s a little bit difficult to say.

“It’s just a very bumpy track. A lot of these high-speed corners where we seem to maybe struggle a little bit comparing to the Red Bulls.

“That’s where we suffered the whole season so far is the high-speed corners. So we have to work in that area.

RB21 working on bumpy track.
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/05/ ... -red-bull/

That article misses out on so much context of the race it borders on being amateur.

Max "streaking away" ignores Oscar falling asleep at T1, picking the wrong strategy, the VSC and then Oscar picking the wrong strategy again during the SC.

It's just more fluff of Norris moaning about his car with another different excuse. I'd be getting quite annoyed if I was a McLaren engineer.

[organic]

Verstappen to Telegraaf

"Last weekend we were perhaps a bit better than expected and McLaren a bit less. That Friday we were still very far behind, so we made a big step and everything felt better. But the overheating of the tires was still there."

The upgrades did their job last week. But I don't think it made that much difference in terms of lap time. We made a big step with the set-up of the car, especially that weekend."

[euv2]

Verstappen to Telegraaf

"Last weekend we were perhaps a bit better than expected and McLaren a bit less. That Friday we were still very far behind, so we made a big step and everything felt better. But the overheating of the tires was still there."

The upgrades did their job last week. But I don't think it made that much difference in terms of lap time. We made a big step with the set-up of the car, especially that weekend."

So, none of the new updates from the last 3 weekends added load? Mostly just balance improvements or are they trying to be a bit sneaky.

I wonder when they will bring updates that add more downforce again because that will be definitely needed to surpass MCL.

[Cs98]

Verstappen to Telegraaf

"Last weekend we were perhaps a bit better than expected and McLaren a bit less. That Friday we were still very far behind, so we made a big step and everything felt better. But the overheating of the tires was still there."

The upgrades did their job last week. But I don't think it made that much difference in terms of lap time. We made a big step with the set-up of the car, especially that weekend."

So, none of the new updates from the last 3 weekends added load? Mostly just balance improvements or are they trying to be a bit sneaky.

I wonder when they will bring updates that add more downforce again because that will be definitely needed to surpass MCL.

They probably added some load, but the bulk of the improvement would have been set-up/balance related.

[Paa]

It is the same logic when they add "reliability" upgrade to an engine. It is called reliability, but it brings extra performance as the engine can be run harder for longer.

Same with balance updates. Even if it doesn't increase the peak DF, it provides wider setup window, therefore more usable downforce.

[AR3-GP]

Improved balance and stability also allows the driver to just drive faster.

[organic]

The brake corner update came at Imola but max still complaining about overheating tyres.

They're supposedly bringing more parts for the ducts to tackle this in the next weeks. Another step. But I have no idea when other than Austria latest

[AR3-GP]

The brake corner update came at Imola but max still complaining about overheating tyres.

They're supposedly bringing more parts for the ducts to tackle this in the next weeks. Another step. But I have no idea when other than Austria latest

There was a brake corner update. They changed the fins in the duct inlet and duct exit. It was aimed at reducing losses so that gives slightly more flow through the ducts. The stuff in the interior (the shells) was the same as before based on pictures. I think that concept is where there is more work to be done to match Mclaren.

[CjC]

Verstappen to Telegraaf

"Last weekend we were perhaps a bit better than expected and McLaren a bit less. That Friday we were still very far behind, so we made a big step and everything felt better. But the overheating of the tires was still there."

The upgrades did their job last week. But I don't think it made that much difference in terms of lap time. We made a big step with the set-up of the car, especially that weekend."

So, none of the new updates from the last 3 weekends added load? Mostly just balance improvements or are they trying to be a bit sneaky.

I wonder when they will bring updates that add more downforce again because that will be definitely needed to surpass MCL.

I’ll stand corrected but I think the floor in Miami added load according to Paul Monaghan

[CjC]

I’m glad Horner had said this:

https://www.racefans.net/2025/05/22/red ... r-reckons/

With all the wild suggestion that Mclaren might have had their wings clipped prior to Imola because they didn’t win- I didn’t see anyone point out the fact that the gap from Norris to the next non-McLaren was quite large again.
Red Bull and Max just did a very good job in Imola- a better job than McLaren

[AR3-GP]

I’m glad Horner had said this:

https://www.racefans.net/2025/05/22/red ... r-reckons/

With all the wild suggestion that Mclaren might have had their wings clipped prior to Imola because they didn’t win- I didn’t see anyone point out the fact that the gap from Norris to the next non-McLaren was quite large again.
Red Bull and Max just did a very good job in Imola- a better job than McLaren

Are you agreeing with Horner because it is convenient? On the other side, Wache was hinting at a different viewpoint of the weekend. Everyone has motivations for everything that they say. For Horner, his leadership has been questioned. He'll be keen to promote the sense that the team has been resurrected.

That's not to say that I disagree with Horner...

[CjC]

No I’m agreeing with him because what I was thinking during the race.

I know I’m not his biggest fan but he’s right, in Imola Mclaren annihilated the opposition again but also this time Max was just a shade better than the McLarens as well.

[Seanspeed]

Verstappen to Telegraaf

"Last weekend we were perhaps a bit better than expected and McLaren a bit less. That Friday we were still very far behind, so we made a big step and everything felt better. But the overheating of the tires was still there."

The upgrades did their job last week. But I don't think it made that much difference in terms of lap time. We made a big step with the set-up of the car, especially that weekend."

So, none of the new updates from the last 3 weekends added load? Mostly just balance improvements or are they trying to be a bit sneaky.

I wonder when they will bring updates that add more downforce again because that will be definitely needed to surpass MCL.

Balance improvements dont mean a ton if it's not helping you actually get the car around a lap faster at some point.

My impression is that he's saying the upgrades were improvements(in lap time), but weren't so significant that it was the main reason he was as competitive as he was in Imola. That mainly came from simply nailing the setup.