Red Bull, Verstappen Finish as F1 Champions, But Challenges Loom

Red Bull and Max Verstappen capped off the Formula 1 season as the dominant forces in the sport, but it’s unclear how long they’ll be able to hold that position.

The team and Verstappen secured the constructor’s and driver’s championships long before Verstappen’s victory at the season’s final race on Sunday in Abu Dhabi.

• With two consecutive driver’s championships, Verstappen is making good on his massive contract, which pays him a reported $55 million annually through 2028.
• His $48 million in earnings over the 12 months ending May 1, made him the 26th-highest-paid athlete in the world, second among drivers to Lewis Hamilton’s $65 million, according to Forbes.
• In May, Red Bull signed his teammate Sergio Perez to a two-year extension through 2024. Perez fell to third in the driver’s championship to Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who finished second in Abu Dhabi.

While Red Bull ended Mercedes’ streak of eight consecutive constructor’s championships, it will face new challenges in building its own streak.

Tightening Competition

The cost cap, introduced last year, will drop to $135 million for the 2023-25 seasons, creating parity among teams’ financial power. Red Bull will be docked 10% of its wind tunnel testing time and $7 million for exceeding last year’s cost cap.

Teams are also looking at new engine and fuel regulations beginning in 2026.

“By ’26, we will be four years into the cost cap, and the teams will have had more time to balance, and the racing will be even more exciting,” Williams Racing principal Jost Capito told Front Office Sports.