In the high-stakes world of Formula 1, where fortunes can turn in the blink of an eye, the 2025 season is shaping up to be one for the history books. With just six races left, the Circuit of the Americas in Texas is the next battleground in a fierce three-way fight for the driver’s championship. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris have been the front-runners all year, but a resurgent Max Verstappen is mounting one of the most improbable comebacks in recent memory, and it’s all thanks to a series of bold decisions and a secret weapon that has transformed his Red Bull car from a midfield contender into a bona fide rocket ship.

Just a few months ago, the mood at Red Bull was bleak. The team was struggling, and Verstappen, their prized asset, was languishing outside the top five in the championship standings. The talk in the paddock was not about whether Verstappen could win the title, but whether he would even stay with the team. Contract clauses that would allow him to leave before the 2027 season were being seriously discussed, and the team was in crisis. The pressure was on, and something had to give.

In a move that sent shockwaves through the F1 community, Red Bull made the controversial decision to remove long-serving team principal Christian Horner. The board saw him as “too powerful,” and there was a growing sense that fresh ideas were needed to turn the team’s fortunes around. In his place came Laurent Mekies, whose engineering background signaled a shift in the team’s philosophy. The era of “wild ideas” was over, replaced by a more methodical and driven approach to car setup and development.

The impact was immediate and profound. Verstappen himself has spoken about the newfound stability within the team, and the results on the track speak for themselves. In the seven races from the Monaco Grand Prix to the Hungarian Grand Prix, with Horner still at the helm, Verstappen managed only one podium finish – a shocking statistic for a driver of his caliber. But since Mekies’s arrival, the Dutchman has been a man reborn, stringing together four consecutive podiums and reigniting his championship aspirations. If he and Red Bull can pull off this incredible turnaround, it will go down as one of the greatest comebacks in F1 history.

But it’s not just the change in leadership that has fueled Verstappen’s resurgence. While most teams have shifted their focus to the 2026 season and the new regulations, Red Bull has continued to push the boundaries of what’s possible with their current car, the RB21. After the summer break, a “secret upgrade” was introduced, and it has proven to be a game-changer. The innovation in question is a new front wing, designed to cleverly circumvent the FIA’s new regulations on flexible bodywork.

The new rules, introduced at the Spanish Grand Prix, were intended to clamp down on teams using “flexi-wings” to gain an aerodynamic advantage. But, as is often the case in F1, where there are rules, there are loopholes. Red Bull, along with Mercedes, has found a way to design a front wing that passes the FIA’s static load tests but still flexes under the immense aerodynamic forces experienced on the track. This reduces drag on the straights, increasing top speed, while still providing the necessary downforce in the corners.

The new front wing, used exclusively by Verstappen in Singapore, features a different positioning of the hooks that serve a key structural purpose for the elements. It is in this area that Red Bull appears to have found the “flex” they were looking for. The upgrade has not only reduced the understeer that was plaguing the RB21 but has also given Verstappen a significant performance boost. The gain has been so substantial that former F1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve has now declared Verstappen his favorite to win the championship.

“Max is the best because he is old school,” Villeneuve said. “He’s very good on the simulator, but he is good on the track. He understands things from practice.” The Canadian’s praise is a testament to Verstappen’s skill and adaptability, but even the most ardent fan would admit that the odds are still stacked against him. He has a lot of points to make up in the final six races, and the McLaren duo of Piastri and Norris will not give up without a fight.

Looking ahead, the 2026 season presents a whole new set of challenges for Red Bull. A major overhaul of the technical regulations, including a new power unit, means that every team will be starting from a clean slate. For the first time in its history, Red Bull will be building its own in-house engine, a monumental undertaking that has many in the paddock skeptical about their chances of success. The established manufacturers like Mercedes, Ferrari, and Honda have a significant head start, and the pressure is on Red Bull to deliver a competitive power unit right out of the box.

The stakes could not be higher. Verstappen has only committed to one more season with the team, and if the new engine is not competitive, he will almost certainly be looking for a drive elsewhere in 2027. The four-time world champion is not interested in making up the numbers; he wants to be competing for championships, and he will not wait around for Red Bull to solve their problems.

However, for the first time, there is a glimmer of hope coming from the Red Bull engine department. Technical Director Pierre Vash recently provided a positive update on the power unit’s development, describing it as “very, very promising.” While he acknowledges that the new aerodynamic regulations make it difficult to predict the performance of the chassis, the news about the engine will be a huge boost to Verstappen’s confidence.

The problem for all the teams is that they are working in isolation, with no benchmarks to compare their progress against. They will only know how their engine stacks up against the competition when the cars hit the track for the first time in just over three months. Until then, there will be plenty of crossed fingers at Red Bull headquarters in Milton Keynes.

As the F1 circus heads to Texas, all eyes will be on Max Verstappen. His incredible comeback has injected a new level of excitement into the 2025 season, and while he may still be the underdog, he has proven time and time again that he is a driver who thrives under pressure. Whether he can pull off the impossible and win a fifth world title remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure: the final six races of the season are going to be a thrilling ride. Red Bull’s secret upgrade has not only transformed their car; it has transformed the entire championship battle.