Red Bull

Red Bull are one of F1’s most successful teams over the past 20 years, winning eight drivers’ titles and six constructors’ titles.

Red Bull Racing in 2026

Max Verstappen's four-year reign as F1 world champion came to an end in 2025 but the Dutchman put up an herculean effort until the very end.

Red Bull were in a bad place for much of the season but an incredible turnaround in the second half of the season, coupled with Verstappen's brilliance, saw the team take third place in the constructors'.

There was significant change at the top, as Christian Horner was removed and replaced as team principal by Laurent Mekies, while Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda both failed in stints as Verstappen's teammate. 

Red Bull enter 2026 with a new power unit in collaboration with Ford and a new driver in the shape of Isack Hadjar, who is the latest to face the daunting task of going head-to-head with Verstappen. 

2026 will be a huge year for Red Bull and Verstappen, whose long-term F1 future will remain a hot topic. 

Red Bull's F1 history 

After sponsoring Sauber from 1995 to 2004, Red Bull finally entered the sport with their own team in 2005, taking over from Jaguar. Red Bull’s first year, with former McLaren driver David Coulthard leading the team, was a relative success, securing seventh in the constructors’ championship.

Red Bull maintained seventh place in 2007 but took a step back in 2008, finishing behind sister team Toro Rosso, who embarrassingly took a race victory in the hands of Sebastian Vettel. It wasn’t until 2009 that Red Bull became an F1 powerhouse, making the most of the new technical regulations.

Vettel claimed Red Bull’s maiden victory, leading a 1-2 finish ahead of Mark Webber at the 2009 Chinese Grand Prix. While both titles eluded Red Bull that year, it set them up well for the following seasons.

Red Bull and Vettel would go on to win four consecutive drivers’ and constructors’ titles from 2010 to 2013. While not all campaigns were dominant, the Vettel-Adrian Newey combination proved a formidable force to stop.

Their run ended in 2014 with the introduction of the V6 turbo hybrid engines. Held back by Renault’s underperforming power unit, Red Bull had to settle for sporadic race victories rather than championship success as Mercedes swept every title up to 2021.

Red Bull lost Vettel to Ferrari in 2015, but in 2016, Verstappen was called up to the team from Toro Rosso at just 18 years old. The Dutchman won on his F1 debut, beating Kimi Räikkönen at the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix.

With Daniel Ricciardo as his teammate, Red Bull arguably had the strongest driver line-up on the grid, but their underperforming Renault power unit continued to hold them back. Red Bull’s switch to Honda power in 2019 proved to be a crucial decision, paving the way for their return to championship contention two years later.

By 2021, Red Bull could finally challenge Mercedes on track, with Verstappen beating Lewis Hamilton in a dramatic Abu Dhabi finale. Red Bull secured their first constructors’ title in nine years in 2022, as Verstappen claimed his second drivers’ championship.

2023 was the most dominant season by a single driver in F1 history, as Verstappen won 19 of the 22 races, while Red Bull’s only defeat came in Singapore.