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Verstappen’s RB21 window problem becomes Red Bull’s gamble

The Star

|

November 21, 2025

FORMULA ONE

- JEHRAN NAIDOO

RED Bull's hopes in Las Vegas hinge on one technical priority above all else: finding the RB21's operating window.

Without that, Max Verstappen simply cannot fight for victory - and the team knows it.

As Laurent Mekies put it bluntly, Red Bull's recent dip comes down to a single truth: "We just need to get the car in the right window" Until they do, the RB21's pace will remain unpredictable, leaving Verstappen's weekends defined more by setup fortune than by the car's true potential.

Red Bull's struggles are not about track characteristics, and Mekies was emphatic on that point. "It's not a case that the tracks are bad for us," he said, dismissing claims that recent results reflect circuit-specific weaknesses. The real issue is consistency.

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