Red Bull has hinted it is planning further upgrades to help Max Verstappen’s unlikely bid to win the F1 drivers’ championship.
Development is primarily focused on 2026, with most teams having stopped introducing updates to their cars.
However, Red Bull has continued to introduce new parts and improve the RB21 Challenger in recent months.
Red Bull’s remarkable turnaround enabled Verstappen to take three wins in the last four races, including a commanding win at the American Grand Prix.
Verstappen’s comeback means the Dutchman has cut his championship lead over Oscar Piastri to 40 points with five weeks remaining.
Red Bull currently appear to boast F1’s fastest car, but that doesn’t seem to be stopping them from introducing new upgrades, with adviser Helmut Marko suggesting the team is “still working on things”.
After Sunday’s race in Austin, Marko told Austrian publication oe.24: “We are still working on something. I don’t know exactly when it will be.”
“There’s a great atmosphere in the team right now,” Marko added. “You can see that McLaren don’t have that luxury anymore. Piastri also struggled a little bit more today. I hope it stays that way.”
“There’s no longer a track where we’re not competitive. If there is, it’s Max who makes the difference.”
McLaren no longer introduces upgrades
In contrast, McLaren’s drivers fight for the title using the tools they already have.
Piastri is 14 points behind teammate and closest rival Lando Norris.
Despite Verstappen catching the McLaren pair, the team is confident it has enough performance to stop Verstappen at MCL39.
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella admitted: “In terms of new upgrades and new parts, that’s not going to happen for the rest of the season.”
“Tendentially, it was a relatively safe race today. Even without having to fight Charles, I think it was certainly an interesting battle in itself, so I think Lando had the pace to win today’s race.”
“Obviously he needed to gain positions on the track, which was never easy for Max. And with a one-stop strategy, there weren’t necessarily many chances from a strategic point of view.
“But performance-wise, I think we were comfortable because we had enough pace to be in contention for the win.”