Approximately a year ago, initial speculation arose suggesting Max Verstappen’s active efforts to leave Red Bull, and potentially depart from Formula 1 altogether.
The team’s consistent showing of less-than-optimal results during the initial half of the 2024 season enabled Verstappen to activate a specific performance-related term in his agreement – and, of greater concern for Red Bull, he seemed to be growing disengaged with F1, participating in simulator and sportscar competitions without reservation.
Following shifts in management and a resurgence in competitive form, his focus was re-aligned, yet the team based in Austria is keen to prevent a recurrence of such a situation.
Within this framework, Verstappen’s overt disdain for the forthcoming 2026 regulations and the resulting vehicle designs presents a troubling issue. For key figures and his team, it is humiliating and disconcerting to have one of F1’s most commercially valuable figures, a four-time world champion, drawing unfavourable comparisons between the new rule-generated machinery and Formula E, while also publicly questioning his continued involvement in F1.
Similar to the previous season, Red Bull’s sole recourse is to supply Max with the quickest possible vehicle and trust that a plentiful stream of race victories will alleviate his concerns. “My objective isn’t to ensure his contentment,” stated technical director Pierre Wache when questioned on how the team might improve his satisfaction with current circumstances.
“Our method for bringing him satisfaction is by securing race triumphs. My responsibility, and that of the squad, at my position, involves ensuring he is equipped with the apparatus necessary to contend for the lead. The regulations themselves and the resultant vehicle configuration, regarding our experience with the car under these rules, falls beyond our immediate purview.
“This pertains to an FIA dialogue in which we can engage, but our primary aim and concentration remain on enhancing the vehicle’s performance.”
Pierre Wache, Technical Director Red Bull Racing
Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool
Therefore, Wache’s ultimate conclusion is that convincing Verstappen to embrace energy conservation, and to accept slower speeds – with vehicles reportedly up to 50km/h slower in rapid turns compared to earlier models – falls under the responsibility of the FIA. This endeavor might also receive support from the commercial rights owner, who is reportedly quite disturbed by the critical opinions emanating from the racing community.
Within Red Bull’s scope of influence is the capacity to construct vehicles capable of victory. However, the RB22’s standing in the competitive hierarchy remains undetermined, as it’s apparent that nearly every team – Aston Martin being the likely anomaly – has been obscuring their true performance.
Consequently, the current situation presents a series of accusations and rebuttals, with various teams diverting focus. Mercedes, possessing strong motives to hide its capabilities due to the ongoing dispute concerning its power unit, maintains that Red Bull’s newly developed internal engine possesses an advantage in continuous energy delivery between laps.
Mercedes’ client teams, among them current champions McLaren, have reiterated this view yet hold the conviction that the Brixworth power unit is capable of achieving comparable output through further development. Red Bull has dismissed assertions of possessing the superior engine, and Verstappen has explicitly ridiculed Mercedes’ assertions that its compression ratio innovation yields merely one or two brake horsepower.
“It’s challenging to assess,” Wache responded when queried about his perception of Red Bull’s overall standing. “We are certainly not the standard-setter. We plainly observe that the leading three outfits, Ferrari, Mercedes, and McLaren, are positioned ahead of us.
“Based on our assessment, it appears we are trailing. However, determining our precise position relative to others is complex, given the varying test programs, fuel loads, and power settings employed by each team. While our current analysis suggests Red Bull is the fourth-fastest package, this could honestly be inaccurate. We don’t dwell on this extensively; instead, we concentrate on methods for enhancement.”
