Due to the global pandemic and the revenue loss, Formula 1 teams for 2021 were limited to the number of changes that could be made to the previous year's design, would compete with tires supplied by Pirelli, and each team was required to enter at least two drivers, one for each of the two mandatory cars. A budget maximum of $145 million per year is expected, and teams are required to use more commercially available parts and materials and to submit their annual expenditure. Some aerodynamic rules changes were enacted by the FIA, including the floors are required to be 'clipped' in order to reduce downforce. This was a change from the previous year's design where the floor was allowed to run in a straight line from an area adjacent to the cockpit back to a point ahead of the rear tire. Tires will be moved 100 millimeters inboard, and some slots on the edge of the floor will be required to be removed, the brake duct winglets will be narrowed by 40 millimeters, and diffuser fences narrowed by 50 millimeters.

In 2020, Mercedes introduced a 'dual-axis steering' system, however, for 2021 this system is banned.

The 2021 Red Bull Racing Formula One car is the RB16B powered by the latest version of Honda's V6 hybrid system. It appears that many of the improvements made to the RB16B focused on the rear suspension geometry.

The 2021 Formula One drivers of the RB16B are Max Verstappen and Checo Perez.

by Dan Vaughan