Red Bull boss Laurent Mekies has admitted there are no guarantees about how competitive the team will be in Las Vegas based on the Formula 1 form guide in 2025.
Max Verstappen has got back into the title conversation with seven consecutive podiums since the summer break, including wins in Italy, Azerbaijan and Austin.
Yet despite that surge, Lando Norris’ recent double win in Mexico and Brazil leaves Verstappen 49 points adrift with 83 available across the upcoming triple-header.
The margin is tight enough that he must deliver immediately – starting at the Las Vegas Strip Circuit, where he won the inaugural race in 2023.
Red Bull, however, is taking nothing for granted. Mekies stressed that the team has stopped trying to predict which circuits will favour the RB21.
“You know, we have been quite regularly wrong at predicting where tracks will be suiting us or not,” he admitted to media including Motorsport Week.
“We didn’t think Monza will be suiting us. We didn’t think Baku will be suiting us. We didn’t think Singapore will be suiting us.
“So, honestly, it’s not where the focus goes, because relative to the others, it’s probably a bit too difficult. But the focus is on ourselves.”
Red Bull hasn’t pinned mixed Interlagos weekend on the track
The team’s form has fluctuated at times – Interlagos being a notable example, where Red Bull struggled to keep the RB21 in its ideal operating window.
Even so, since the summer break, the squad has generally managed to extract more consistent performance from the car.
With Las Vegas offering a cold night race on a low-downforce layout, Mekies was asked whether those conditions could complicate Red Bull’s search for that sweet spot again.
“I would not blame the track really,” he considered. “I think it’s always very difficult, and sometimes, you manage it better than other times.
“I think that’s a simple truth, but it’s easy to forget how difficult it is to do it, even when you win. It’s simply very difficult every race.”
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