Red Bull Team Principal Laurent Mekies has admitted that the team will shift more of its focus toward the 2027 season car following the summer break, at the expense of further developing the RB22, the model used in F1 2026. The boss indicated that the transition is natural, but noted that the decision is also driven by the fact that the team is not currently in contention for the title. In 2025, Red Bull made significant progress in the closing stages of the season. With Max Verstappen in the title hunt, the team introduced several upgrade packages — at a much higher volume than McLaren — allowing the Dutchman to take the fight to the final round, although he was ultimately defeated by Lando Norris by just two points. However, that effort came at the cost of development time for the current season’s car, leaving Red Bull slightly off the pace of the frontrunners at the start of F1 2026. In an interview with Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, Mekies emphasized that while the RB22 will still receive updates, they will come in smaller quantities than in late 2025, as primary focus moves to next year’s campaign. “We are in a very different situation from last year, when we were in full fightback mode and competing for the title until the very end. Because of that, we won’t push as hard now as we did on that occasion. After the summer break, most of our attention will shift to the 2027 car, which I consider completely normal. We will still have some updates this season, but fewer than in 2025,” Mekies said. Asked whether Verstappen could win races during the 2026 F1 season, Mekies replied that he believes it is possible, pointing to Red Bull’s recent progress over the last few