A new Formula 1 season is on the horizon! It promises to be another thrilling year, especially since the regulations have barely changed. The technical rules will not be overhauled until 2026. This leaves teams with a decision to make: maximize this season or start focusing on the next generation of Formula 1 cars? Red Bull’s Technical Director, Pierre Waché, assures that the team will not sacrifice this season.
The new regulations for 2026 mean that teams must wisely allocate their resources for 2025. Of course, they are constrained by the budget cap and strict limits on aerodynamic testing. To what extent does the current season take precedence over the development of the car for 2026? The FIA’s designs suggest that the cars will look very different in the future. In addition, there will be significant changes to the powertrain. In the past, teams have maximized the benefits of new regulations, as seen with Brawn GP in 2009 or Mercedes in 2014.
More Wind Tunnel Time
At Red Bull, the focus is preferably on the current championship and the car with which Max Verstappen will start in Melbourne – at least, if we are to believe Technical Director Pierre Waché. “Of course, it also depends on what you think about performance,” he recently explained to Autosport. “If you gain a lot of speed with the car for 2026, it is naturally tempting to invest more energy in it. But I think we can fight for the title again in 2025, so we will never throw away that championship.”
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However, Waché admitted that it’s a difficult balancing act. “We start the season with a certain strategy, but there’s a high chance that it will change as we progress,” he said. Red Bull benefits from the fact that the team was beaten by McLaren and Ferrari last year. The third place in the constructors’ championship means more time in the wind tunnel and thus more opportunities to test aerodynamic upgrades. “This could be a huge advantage for 2026,” Waché stated. “However, more money and more wind tunnel time do not guarantee better performance. Otherwise, the teams lagging behind would always become first the following year. That’s not how it works in Formula 1. Nevertheless, it could be an advantage, so we need to make good use of it.”
