Verstappen says fixing RB22’s reliability and handling tops Red Bull’s agenda for 2026 second half

With the Formula 1 season on its mid-year break, Max Verstappen finds himself 110 points behind leader Kimi Antonelli and points to the RB22’s shortcomings as Red Bull’s top priority. The car’s excess weight and early-season pace deficit, measured at over a second per lap in Australia and China, have narrowed but still linger. Verstappen emphasized that the vehicle’s performance drops throughout a weekend, describing it as “car degradation.”

Technical director Pierre Wache echoed the drivers’ complaints, citing instability on corner entry and persistent mid-corner understeer, as well as mechanical gremlins that affect steering feedback. Hadjar, the team’s 21-year-old driver, singled out entry stability as the key limitation. Despite recent progress, Red Bull must address these reliability and handling issues to improve overall competitiveness.