McLaren had looked quick since pre-season testing in Bahrain and lived up to expectations at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, with Lando Norris turning his pole position into a win. Max Verstappen put up a fight early on and again towards the end, but in between, he lost 14 seconds in just 10 laps to the McLaren pair.

Piastri’s spin helped Verstappen recover to second place, reducing the damage for Red Bull as Verstappen’s new teammate, Liam Lawson crashed out. Still, Verstappen's RB21 struggled with tyre wear, which proved to be the biggest difference between Red Bull and McLaren.

Red Bull’s advisor Helmut Marko confirmed that this was their main issue. “We knew from the tests in Bahrain that the McLarens were quite a bit faster than us,” he told Viaplay.

“We reduced this advantage, I would say, from half a second to two or three tenths. We can follow them for six to eight laps, but then our tyre degradation comes earlier.”

Despite this, Red Bull is confident they can catch up. “That’s the main problem, with some other problems as well. But we know them, and they are working hard. In three to five races hopefully we can cure it, so that we have a car on the same level as the McLaren.”

With McLaren leading the way, Red Bull now faces a crucial few races to close the gap before attention starts shifting to the big rule changes coming in 2026. The team knows this won’t be easy, especially after struggling with its car development last year. But with planned upgrades on the way, Red Bull is determined to fight back and keep its title hopes alive.