Max Verstappen’s winning streak came to an end under the lights of Singapore on Sunday, but Red Bull’s resurgence shows no signs of slowing.
The Dutchman finished second behind Mercedes’ George Russell, yet the result reaffirmed that the team’s mid-season recovery is real, and sustainable moving forward.
After a turbulent start to 2025 marked by off-track controversy and inconsistent performances, Red Bull has re-established itself as a front-running force.
The improved pace since the summer break has brought Verstappen back into podium contention at every round, with the RB21 now performing consistently across a wider range of circuits.
The Singapore result, while halting Verstappen’s run of consecutive victories, extended Red Bull’s streak of podium finishes and highlighted the car’s newfound balance and reliability. Had Verstappen not been halted on a flying lap in qualifying by Lando Norris, he could have easily found himself on pole and fighting for yet another race win.
Tough race, but a solid result @redbullracing
— Max Verstappen (@Max33Verstappen) October 5, 2025
Congrats to @McLarenF1 on winning the Constructors' Championship. pic.twitter.com/bFWFUXYkjx
Much of the team’s turnaround has been credited to subtle but significant internal changes. Since the departure of long-time team principal Christian Horner in July, new boss Laurent Mekies has overseen a calmer, more collaborative environment.
Mekies, though quick to deflect personal praise, has been widely credited within the team for re-establishing focus and empowering Red Bull’s engineering group.
"It's still zero, guys. It's still zero," he told reporters on Sunday, via ESPN. "The improvement in performance is very basically due to the work of everyone trying to analyze the limitations of the car, race after race.”
"And that work, again, with extremely strong and clear inputs from Max, that work is paying off, which is good news. Because as a group, it just confirms that we have the best people that we can dream of. And we will continue working, we are not stopping there. We will take it again race by race and try to see if there is more to come."
While rivals such as McLaren, who clinched a second straight Constructors’ Championship in Singapore, and Mercedes continue to dominate the headlines, Red Bull’s quiet efficiency has been equally impressive. Verstappen’s performance, combining strategic patience with pace management, reflected a team rediscovering its confidence.
Red Bull currently sit fourth in the Constructors’ standings, just eight points behind Ferrari and 35 off Mercedes. Though the title is out of reach, its resurgence has been one of the season’s defining late stories.
Red Bull’s recovery is now undeniable, and the fight for Formula 1 supremacy looks set to tighten beyond the 2025 season.
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