Red Bull acknowledged a major problem with its single-seater at the start of the 2026 season. A situation that severely hindered performance before a fix was made in Miami.
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Red Bull had a mixed start to the 2026 F1 season, far from its usual standards. The Austrian team has now confirmed that the RB22 suffered from a significant technical defect during the first rounds of the championship, which limited its potential against the competition.
Pierre Waché, the team’s technical director, acknowledged the existence of this problem and its impact on overall performance. The single-seater was unable to regularly fight at the front during the first three Grands Prix of the season, an unusual situation for the reigning champion.
A long and complex problem identification
One of the main challenges for Red Bull was to precisely identify the source of the malfunction. The team first had to confirm that a real problem existed before launching a thorough analysis.
As Pierre Waché explained: “First, we had to make sure there was indeed a problem. Then, it was about understanding where it came from, and that takes time. After that, the problem had to be fixed.”
The technical director also admits that this process was neither simple nor quick, due to several unsuccessful attempts: “I am sorry for not fixing it sooner. We tried several solutions, but they did not work.”
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A fix finally introduced in Miami
It was at the Miami Grand Prix that Red Bull introduced a major technical upgrade to its single-seater. The team completely redesigned its steering column, identified as the main source of the problem.
According to Waché, this fix required time to be developed and produced, which delayed its race introduction. He specifies that the problem had been detected before the April break, but production constraints delayed the solution.
“Shortly before Miami, we identified the problem, he explained. But the break allowed us to produce the parts. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have had them for Bahrain and Jeddah.”
Significant performance improvement
Once the new parts were installed, Red Bull drivers quickly noticed an improvement in track feel. Max Verstappen notably highlighted a better sensation at the wheel upon his return to competition in Miami, where he regained more competitive positions on the grid.
Even though the season started poorly, the team now believes it has corrected a significant structural weakness. Red Bull thus hopes to sustainably return to the fight at the front after this championship start disrupted by this unexpected technical problem.
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