Red Bull is staking its recovery on a prompt development of its problematic 2025 challenger, the RB21.
While Liam Lawson struggles to extract any speed from the RB21 whatsoever, Max Verstappen found himself off the podium in Shanghai on Sunday.
"It is clear that we have a technical deficit," team advisor Dr Helmut Marko admitted to Servus TV, noting that a crucial gathering is set for Milton Keynes this week.
"We will discuss how we can have a car that can fight for the win again and how long we need for that," he declared.
Talk within the paddock hints that Red Bull plans to exploit the imminent short break to expedite improvements initially earmarked for a later date, especially with three consecutive grands prix looming ahead.
"Of course we have something in the pipeline," Marko admits, "but it also depends on how the different components work together and especially whether they work. If they work, we can quickly be successful again, but that remains to be seen. Until then, it's about scoring as many points as possible."
After two races, Verstappen lags 8 points behind Lando Norris, and Lawson's lacklustre form led McLaren CEO Zak Brown to all but dismiss Red Bull's prospects in the constructors' battle. "We're worried, but we're not giving up," Marko said.
Despite having to settle for fourth on Sunday, Verstappen struck a relatively positive note - blaming the team's tactical approach. "In the first stint I drove as the team wanted me to for the management of the tyres," he told Dutch journalists.
"I said beforehand that we would be too slow, which proved to be right. In any case, I did what they wanted," he elaborated.
Addressing Marko's comment about Red Bull being "worried", the quadruple world champion responded: "It's not just that we have to worry, we just have to get to work. We know that we are not as strong as other teams at the moment, so we have to work on that," Verstappen added.
