Red Bull explains how it divides its resources between the current and the 2026 F1 car

Red Bull's motorsport advisor Dr Helmut Marko has explained that the Milton Keynes-based outfit is currently sacrificing resources for its 2025 F1 car, but he suggested that there will be a point when the team elected to focus all its power on the all-new 2026 car.

Red Bull had endured a tough start to the season. Although the Austrian-British squad has already taken two victories courtesy of reigning champion Max Verstappen, the team was unable to challenge the field-leading McLaren outfit on a regular basis.

The team has collected a total of 162 points and currently sits fourth in the teams' standings behind McLaren, Mercedes and Ferrari. Interestingly, Verstappen collected 155 points which means that only seven points came from the other side of the garage.

Asked how Red Bull currently divided the work between developing the current car and developing completely new cars for 2026, Red Bull's motorsport advisor Dr Helmut Marko explained that the Milton Keynes-based squad has a clear plan for the current season.

"There's a precise allocation of how the wind tunnel and all the tools are used. At some point, however, they'll say: Okay, that's it for further development.

"For two reasons: time—and the production of new parts takes time—and the cost cap. So the question is: Where do you allocate your resources? I assume after Silverstone or Spa at the latest, there will be a decision to focus entirely on the new car.

From 2026 onwards, Red Bull Racing embark on a new journey. The Austrians' partnership will end with Honda, and they are set to create the Red Bull Powertrains engines in collaboration with Ford.

"Mercedes has declared itself the favorite, but there's no evidence of that. The development of the combustion engine alone is incredible. The engine is smaller than the one in my lawnmower!

"There are three or four things that are important for the new car: the combustion engine. We're on board with that, and unless there are reliability issues, it won't be a game-changer.

"The battery is crucial; we're starting with a conventional solution for that, and fuel is a very important factor. Development in this area is going very well with our partner Exxon," concluded Marko.