The RB21 was the last Red Bull Racing car to be powered by Honda-branded engines before Honda's full return under new power unit rules in 2026, when they would switch to powering the Aston Martin team. From the 2026 season, Red Bull and its sister team Racing Bulls would utilize Red Bull Powertrains Ford engines. The car followed the World Championship-winning RB20.
The RB21 underwent two significant mid-season upgrade packages, introduced at the Miami Grand Prix and the Italian Grand Prix. During pre-season testing at the Bahrain International Circuit, the team completed 304 laps. Max Verstappen noted that the team completed the lowest number of laps overall among the ten teams, indicating work was needed.
The driver lineup for the opening races of the 2025 season consisted of defending World Champion Max Verstappen and rookie Liam Lawson. Lawson, who had previously raced part-time for Red Bull's sister teams, Scuderia AlphaTauri and Visa Cash App RB, was replaced by Yuki Tsunoda from the Japanese Grand Prix onwards.
The season began with a podium finish for Verstappen in Australia, followed by victories in Japan and Imola. However, the second seat experienced difficulties, with Lawson being replaced after the Chinese Grand Prix. Persistent issues with the car and Tsunoda's underperformance led to Red Bull being eliminated from championship contention after the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Verstappen mounted a late-season charge, winning in the United States, Las Vegas, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi, achieving three consecutive victories. However, he ultimately lost the Drivers' Championship to Lando Norris by two points at the latter event.
Verstappen achieved eight wins, fifteen podiums, eight pole positions, and three fastest laps in Grands Prix, along with two sprint wins, all with Verstappen at the wheel. Specific race highlights included a first pole position and win for the car in Japan. At the Miami Grand Prix, Verstappen was penalized after an unsafe release into Kimi Antonelli, resulting in a last-place finish. A crash for Tsunoda at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix necessitated a chassis change and affected his performance for several subsequent races. Verstappen's late-season wins in the United States, Las Vegas, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi demonstrated a resurgence in performance, though insufficient to secure the championship.
Following the 2025 season, the car remained at Yas Marina Circuit for post-season testing, including tests related to the regulation changes scheduled for 2026. Isack Hadjar and Ayumu Iwasa tested a mule car adapted to simulate the 2026 cars, testing tyres for sole supplier Pirelli.
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