The only thing Red Bull can do to motivate Max Verstappen may not be enough Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing Set aside for now the irony of Max Verstappen criticising the state of Formula 1 while eulogising GT3 racing – the epitome of an artificial formula where the competitors regularly bemoan the balance of performance regime. His body language in recent grand prix weekends has signalled that his hints about fading motivation are real. “Every day I wake up, I convince myself again. And I try,” he said after the Japanese Grand Prix when Motorsport.com asked how difficult it was to stay engaged with a difficult car in a formula he clearly dislikes. Likening his mood to one of the new power units, Verstappen went on: “It starts OK in the morning, then it goes mehhhh…” Formula 1Max Verst Verstappen has been a vocal critic of the new technical regulations since his first experiences in the simulator. Having a less-than-competitive car has also no doubt shaped his outlook, though he has consistently denied that Red Bull’s current performance deficit is the main factor behind his talk of quitting. Mid-way through last year, he also signalled a declining interest in F1, only to regain focus when Red Bull managed to switch the car on, triggering a competitive renaissance from the Italian GP onwards. Given that any changes to the technical formula are likely to be minor in the short term, Red Bull urgently needs to improve its car if it wants to maintain Verstappen’s interest. Laurent Mekies, Red Bull Racing Team Principal “We certainly focus on the competitive picture,” said team principal Laurent Mekies when asked by Motorsport.com whether he feared the Dutchman is losing interest in F1. “Yes, that's what we do. We are having zero discussions about those aspects. “We have a lot of work to do.#max_verstappen #formula_1 #red_bull_racing #laurent_mekies #aduo_framework
‘Every lap is survival’: Max Verstappen reflects on F1 Chinese GP qualifying woe Max Verstappen described his performance in the Chinese Grand Prix as a battle for survival, after qualifying eighth and failing to finish in the points during the sprint race. The four-time world champion criticized his Red Bull’s lack of balance, calling it “undriveable” and admitting his efforts were reduced to simply completing laps. Verstappen’s frustration began before the race, as he dismissed his car on Friday as “the worst we’ve ever had.” Despite setup changes intended to improve performance, the Dutch driver saw no progress in qualifying, finishing a full second slower than pole-sitter Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes. “We change a lot on the car, and it makes zero difference,” he said. “The whole weekend we’ve been off. The car is completely undriveable. I cannot even put a bit of a reference in. Every lap is like survival.” The Red Bull’s struggles were evident in both qualifying and the sprint race, where Verstappen finished ninth. His teammate Isack Hadjar also struggled, placing 15th in the sprint and ninth in qualifying. The team’s RB22 lacked balance, making it nearly impossible to push for a fast lap. “It’s very inconsistent. Whatever lap I do, I am like: ‘All right, well, that is it,’” Verstappen added. “Can I go four 10ths faster? Maybe. Can I go four 10ths slower? Yeah, that’s a big chance as well because it’s just all over the place. It’s just incredibly difficult. It’s incredibly tough to drive. There’s no balance, I cannot lean on the car. Every lap is a fight.” Red Bull’s decision to build their own engines for the first time did not translate to race-day success. Despite pre-season testing showing promise, the team faced a significant gap to Ferrari and Mercedes.#red_bull #mclaren #max_verstappen #laurent_mekies #kim_i_antonielli
Laurent Mekies says Isack Hadjar ‘absolutely nailed’ his Red Bull debut and insists ‘we are in the fight’ Laurent Mekies, Team Principal of Oracle Red Bull Racing, praised Isack Hadjar’s performance after the French driver qualified in the top three on his debut with the team. The result marked a high point for Red Bull during a challenging first weekend of the 2026 season. Despite a gap of 0.785 seconds to pole sitter George Russell, Hadjar impressed in his first qualifying session, particularly as his teammate Max Verstappen was eliminated in Q1 after a crash caused by a locked rear axle. Starting third behind the two Mercedes cars, Hadjar lost a few positions during the race’s first stint. Mekies later confirmed the driver faced a battery issue, which ultimately led to his retirement on Lap 11 as smoke emerged from his RB22. Despite the early exit, Mekies remained optimistic about Hadjar’s overall performance, especially considering the complexities of the new 2026 cars and power units. “He had a fantastic weekend,” Mekies said. “Coming here, he had fairly limited mileage in testing, with a bit of lack of luck there. And he came here from the very first lap in FP1 on Friday at the right pace. We were able to split the testing programme between the cars and get double the amount of information. He went to Qualifying with everything that’s entailed for a first-time Qualifying with these rules. Absolutely nailed it. Put the car in P3, which is probably as high as it could have been on Saturday.” Verstappen, who finished sixth after starting 20th on the grid, acknowledged the team’s progress but noted the gap to Mercedes. Mekies admitted Red Bull was at least competitive with McLaren but struggled to match Ferrari and Mercedes’ pace. “It’s something we are aware of,” he said.#max_verstappen #george_russell #laurent_mekies #isack_hadjar #oracle_red_bull_racing
Red Bull Racing Names 21-Year-Old Isack Hadjar as New Teammate to Max Verstappen Ahead of Season Opener Isack Hadjar, a 21-year-old French driver, is set to debut with Red Bull Racing in his first Formula 1 season, facing the challenge of competing against four-time world champion Max Verstappen in the season-opening Australian Grand Prix. Despite the daunting task, Hadjar expressed confidence in his ability to secure a race win, acknowledging the immense pressure of sharing a car with one of the sport’s most dominant drivers. The decision to pair Hadjar with Verstappen has drawn attention due to the team’s uncertain pace heading into the race at Albert Park. Red Bull’s RB22 car, while praised for its reliability and driveability, has not yet demonstrated a clear advantage over rivals. Hadjar admitted that while he is optimistic about the car’s performance, his confidence lies more in the team’s potential to surprise rather than in outright speed. “I’m confident in our race car and what we can do in the race,” he said, “but probably less so on one-lap pace.” Hadjar’s journey to Formula 1 has been marked by resilience. Last year, he endured a humiliating formation lap crash during his debut at the Australian Grand Prix but rebounded to score points in 10 of 24 races, including a historic third-place finish at the Dutch Grand Prix. This achievement made him the fifth-youngest podium finisher in F1 history. His ability to adapt and perform under pressure has positioned him as a contender for Red Bull’s future success. The team’s leadership also plays a role in Hadjar’s confidence. Laurent Mekies, Red Bull’s team principal, has maintained continuity from his previous role at Racing Bulls, providing Hadjar with a sense of familiarity.#max_verstappen #australian_grand_prix #isack_hadjar #red_bull_racing #laurent_mekies
