end of the road for batav at Red Bull?

Ashley Davis06/04/2026

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Article by Cezar Titor – Published Monday, 06 April 2026, 20:19 / Updated Monday, 06 April 2026 20:20

Max Verstappen, 28, a four-time world champion, is far from happy with the new technical package introduced by Red Bull to the RB22 single-seater, and the crisis at the Milton Keynes-based team seems to have no imminent end.

Visibly frustrated, he struggled with the car's balance throughout the recent Japanese Grand Prix, insisting the team has a lot of work to do. His comments come in stark contrast to the initial optimism expressed by the team and Laurent Mekies.

Since the start of the season, Verstappen has been the most vocal driver about the rule changes, fearing that the Grand Prix is gradually turning into Formula E. F1's power units are more reliant on electricity, with an almost 50-50 split between combustion engine and electric. This means that energy recovery from the battery plays a much more important role during racing.

Drivers are slow in corners to conserve energy for the straights, a technique similar to Formula E where drivers deliberately slow down to save battery before launching decisive attacks.

The changes made by Red Bull before Suzuka did not have the intended effect

Ahead of the disappointing Suzuka weekend, Red Bull has implemented a number of major changes in an attempt to return to the fight for the top places:

The team adjusted the side air intakes to increase downforce and revised the chassis, also introducing an all-new floor designed to improve airflow and generate additional downforce. Also, the single-seater was equipped with a new engine cover.

Despite these changes, the weekend did not go according to plan. Verstappen failed to make it into Q3, was stuck in the race behind Pierre Gasly and eventually finished eighth, 32 seconds behind winner Kimi Antonelli.

Verstappen admitted the upgrades did not bring the expected benefits at Suzuka, telling the Pit Debrief: “We need to understand this new package better, because I'm not convinced it worked as it should have. We had significant stability problems”.

In the coming weeks, Red Bull will focus on data analysis ahead of the Miami Grand Prix. “From there, we must continue to refine and work towards a better balance. We also need to gain clearer insight into engine and battery management to strengthen every aspect of our performance,” added Verstappen.

Verstappen during the Suzuka race // photo: Imago

Despite the disappointing results and the ninth place he currently occupies in the drivers' hierarchy, Verstappen stressed that the new Red Bull Ford power unit is not the main problem. His criticisms focus instead on the mechanical and aerodynamic configuration of the RB22 single-seater.

“I think our energy recovery system is working well. Sure, we could improve correlation and calibration, but power is not our major weakness, even if we are not as dominant as Mercedes in this area,” the driver explained.

photo source: Instagram @ redbullracing, redbull

There is, of course, one major reason why speed of recovery is essential, rumors indicating that Verstappen would have a release clause in his current contract.

This information suggests that that clause would allow Max to leave the team in 2027 if he did not finish in the top two in the drivers' standings by the summer break in the 2026 season.