Finally a boost for Red Bull - but experts dispute claim about development path

F1 teams will be placing more emphasis on next season with every passing week, even when the season resumes.

The F1 2026 regulations are a massive change meaning the top brains inside the paddock must be fully prepared to build new cars from scratch.

The rule change offers a chance for every team to build an era of dominance, and that’s why Aston Martin hired Adrian Newey.

But which team should be most pleased with their development path throughout 2025 so far, leading into the rule change?

One notable shout for Red Bull was not agreed upon by Crash.net experts…

Lewis Duncan: The rules reset in 2026 is coming at the right time for Red Bull. It’s second era of domination has come to quite a whirlwind conclusion. 

Adrian Newey is gone; Christian Horner dragged the team into disrepute before he was then let go earlier this year; its driver swapping showed a lack of trust in its line-ups; and Max Verstappen’s future has been a point of constant debate.

Red Bull has a good history of nailing rule changes. It did so in 2009 when the cars had aero stripped off and were made narrower, ushering in a period of dominance with Sebastian Vettel. And it was able to get the jump on its rivals in the ground effect era from 2022.

With Verstappen also committing to 2026, Red Bull is in a position to steady the ship now and focus fully on how to return to the front next year.

Connor McDonagh: Given the rumours surrounding the team, it would be easy to say Mercedes, but I think Audi will be very encouraged by Sauber’s progress this year.

Sauber ended last year as F1’s slowest team, scoring points just once with Zhou Guanyu in Qatar. It looked like Sauber were sleepwalking until Audi’s arrival in 2026.

To their credit, under the leadership of Jonathan Wheatley, the team has been transformed. Their recent upgrades have worked, and operationally, their improvement compared to 12 months ago has been unprecedented.

Sauber capitalised on changeable conditions to aid Nico Hulkenberg to his first podium of the season at the British Grand Prix. Gabriel Bortoleto’s performances have also gone under the radar.

The Brazilian has been consistently impressive and has made a clear argument that he’s been the rookie of the year so far in 2025. Naturally, the big question mark is Audi’s first F1 engine.

However, given how bleak things looked at Sauber even six months ago, the team appears to be finally moving in the right direction.

Lewis Larkam: Audi looked like they would be taking over a team anchored at the very back of the grid, but the Sauber squad have turned a corner thanks to recent upgrades and have made encouraging in-season progress.

This will act as a huge boost ahead of Audi’s arrival as a works’ team in 2026, which coincides with F1’s rules reset.

Team principal Jonathan Wheatley has breathed new life into Sauber and is a shrewd operator who is taking the team in an exciting direction.

Audi have reason to be excited about their driver line-up, with the respected and safe hands of Hulkenberg joined by one of F1’s hottest prospects in Gabriel Bortoleto, who has impressively adapted to grand prix racing.

This is a team that looks to be heading in the right direction. A feel good story is developing at Hinwill and there are plenty of reasons to be hopeful and optimistic about next year and beyond.

Derry Munikartono: Audi may not be on the Formula 1 grid just yet, but their debut next season as a fully-fledged works team has already been handed a huge boost.

Sauber — the outfit that will morph into Audi in 2026 — is in the middle of a breakout 2025 campaign. After propping up the constructors’ table last year, the Hinwil team has reinvented itself as a solid midfield contender, capped by a memorable British Grand Prix podium for Nico Hülkenberg.

The groundwork for the Audi era is already being laid. Former Red Bull sporting director Jonathan Wheatley has been brought in as team principal, while ex-Ferrari mastermind Mattia Binotto now serves as COO and CTO. The big question mark remains the power unit project — but with the current upward trajectory, Audi will inherit not just a nameplate, but a competitive team on the rise.

Rachit Thukral: Given the doubts over Sauber’s ability to produce a competitive chassis for the Audi era, the team’s turnaround after a difficult start to the season should give the German manufacturer plenty of confidence.

A podium at Silverstone, something Williams hasn’t achieved all year, was the highlight, but the real story is consistency, with Sauber scoring six straight top 10 finishes heading into the summer break. The Hinwil side has proved it can deliver a quick car, even if Audi’s new power unit remains a question mark.