Red Bull is counting on an early upgrade for their car.

      "Naturally, we have something in the works."

      Red Bull is setting its sights on an early upgrade for its challenging 2025 car. While Liam Lawson struggles to extract any speed from the RB21, even Max Verstappen fell short of a podium finish in Shanghai on Sunday. "It is evident that we have a technical shortfall," team advisor Dr. Helmut Marko confessed to Servus TV, announcing that an important meeting will be held in Milton Keynes this week. "We will discuss how we can develop a car capable of competing for victories again and what timeline we need for that."

      Initial speculation suggests that Red Bull aims to utilize the upcoming free weekend to expedite updates initially scheduled for a later date, given that the next three grands prix will occur consecutively. "Of course, we have something in the works," Marko acknowledged, "but it also hinges on how the various components integrate and whether they function correctly. If they do, we could see quick success again, but that remains uncertain. Until then, our focus is on accumulating as many points as possible."

      Verstappen is currently 8 points behind Lando Norris after the first two rounds of the season, but Lawson’s predicament led McLaren CEO Zak Brown to effectively rule Red Bull out of the constructors’ championship race. "We’re concerned, but we’re not giving up," Marko remarked.

      Indeed, Verstappen felt reasonably positive after finishing fourth on Sunday, attributing his experience to the team’s race strategy. "In the first stint, I drove as the team instructed me for tyre management," he told Dutch journalists. "I warned beforehand that we would be too slow, and that turned out to be correct. In any case, I followed their instructions."

      When asked about Marko’s claim that Red Bull is "worried," the four-time world champion responded: "It’s not only about worrying; we need to focus on our work. We understand that we are not as competitive as other teams at the moment, so we must address that," Verstappen added.