All articles tagged with #red bull racing
Long-time Red Bull engineer Gianpiero Lambiase will leave Red Bull at the end of 2027 to join McLaren on a multi‑million‑pound contract, ending his 2016‑era partnership with Max Verstappen and signaling potential leadership reshuffles at McLaren after recent poaches from Red Bull.
Max Verstappen signals waning motivation amid frustration with Red Bull’s 2026 F1 package and a driving experience he calls anti-driving, driven by machine-learning torque management. Red Bull says the focus is on closing the performance gap and improving the chassis/PU, with potential in-season upgrades via the ADUO framework and a break before Miami to push progress. The driver privately remains happy but questions whether the sport remains enjoyable, as the team works to rekindle his enthusiasm by delivering a faster car.
Max Verstappen could remain linked to Red Bull as an ambassador even if he steps away from driving after 2026, with a post-driving role likely for at least two years while his Red Bull contract runs to 2028. The Race says his loyalty and marketing pull could let Red Bull keep him in a non-driving capacity, potentially alongside the Verstappen.com GT3 project; he could trigger an exit clause before October if he’s outside the top two in the world championship, though a later return to F1 isn’t guaranteed.
Verstappen reportedly would only stay in F1 if he can race for Mercedes; if not, he could retire after 2026. A potential exit clause could be triggered Aug–Oct depending on his standings, while Red Bull plans frank discussions during the break with links to Mercedes remaining through his camp.
Max Verstappen says he is considering his F1 future after 2026, admitting he is not enjoying the redesigned 2026 cars and wonders if it is worth continuing, even as he remains committed to Red Bull; a midseason exit clause could allow him to walk away, and with him ninth in the standings and facing a challenging year, he is also exploring life beyond F1, including sportscar racing.
After the Chinese Grand Prix, Verstappen criticized the 2026 F1 regulations as flawed and not racing, claiming fans don’t understand racing; Mercedes boss Toto Wolff pushed back, suggesting Verstappen’s critique may be related to Red Bull’s situation and describing Verstappen’s qualifying onboard as ‘horrendous’ to drive, while noting the Shanghai race delivered entertaining overtakes and mid‑field battles and that fan sentiment around the product remains positive, with some rule tweaks still possible.
Max Verstappen labeled Red Bull’s 2026 RB22 “undriveable” after qualifying eighth (ninth in sprint) at the Chinese Grand Prix, saying the car oversteers and understeers with little feedback and can’t be pushed, partly due to battery/power issues. He expects to start Sunday around eighth and doubts improvement will come quickly, noting teammate Isack Hadjar’s similar struggles and the weekend’s broader setup woes.
Red Bull express concern after Max Verstappen's Australian Grand Prix qualifying crash, where the RB22's rear brakes locked on the first push lap and sent him into the barriers, leaving him 20th on the grid; team principal Laurent Mekies said it was 'unfortunate' and that the team will dive into the data to understand what happened, while Isack Hadjar impressed with a P3 on his qualifying debut.
Red Bull says Verstappen’s RB22 sustained recoverable floor damage from a gravel crash in Australian Grand Prix practice; chief engineer Paul Monaghan said there’s enough damage to keep the team busy as they repair and tune the car for qualifying, while Verstappen finished sixth in the session.
Isack Hadjar crashed Red Bull’s RB22 on Day 2 of Formula 1’s Barcelona pre-season test, with the rear of the car hitting the Tecpro barrier in Turn 14. Red Bull said he was 'all good' afterward. The incident occurred about 40 minutes before the session end, a setback as spare parts are scarce during the five-day test, though the team can potentially swap parts and continue running later in the week; Ferrari was the only other team in action that day with Leclerc and Hamilton in the SF-26.
Red Bull is evaluating plans for a final day of Barcelona testing after Isack Hadjar crashed the RB22 in wet conditions, damaging the rear of the car. It’s unclear whether the incident was Hadjar’s error or a car issue, and the team will assess the damage before deciding whether to run on the last available day, with Verstappen having completed the morning session and the squad continuing its heavy pre-season program around its own power unit.
Isack Hadjar crashed Red Bull’s RB22 in the second day of Barcelona’s 2026 pre-season F1 test, with the rear end hitting a Tecpro barrier about 35–40 minutes before the end of the session; Red Bull said Hadjar was fine. The incident comes during a closed five-day shakedown where teams run on three days, and spare parts are scarce, leaving Red Bull with potential to wait for a third running day if needed; Ferrari was the only other team in action on Tuesday.
Red Bull’s YouTube clip features Max Verstappen behind the wheel of a mysterious “2026 Ford Mustang Dark Horse SC,” billed as Ford’s most advanced and track-capable Dark Horse yet. The name suggests a possible supercharged or sport-competition variant that could sit above the current Dark Horse and below the GTD, though specifics are unclear. Ford has said a new street-legal performance car will be unveiled at its upcoming racing launch, but official details remain sparse.
Red Bull Racing has announced that 18-year-old Isack Hadjar will replace Yuki Tsunoda in the 2026 F1 season, with Arvid Lindblad moving to VCARB. Hadjar's promotion is seen as a smart move given his recent performance and timing, while Lindblad's experience and age make him a suitable choice for development. Tsunoda remains in the Red Bull ecosystem as a test driver, and the team aims for a more stable and promising driver lineup for the future.
Max Verstappen and Red Bull Racing are favored to win the US Grand Prix, but high temperatures and new tire compounds could influence race strategies, making the outcome uncertain.