Mekies: Red Bull Austria Upgrades Alone Won't Close Gap to Leaders

Red Bull Racing's Austrian Grand Prix upgrade package will not be sufficient to fully erase the team's remaining performance deficit to Formula 1's leading teams, Laurent Mekies has admitted. The team principal confirmed that while the RB22 has made clear progress since Japan, Milton Keynes will need additional development steps beyond Spielberg to genuinely challenge for wins.

Why it matters:

After an uphill start to the 2026 regulation cycle, Red Bull has been slowly clawing back time but still trails Ferrari, McLaren, and Mercedes by an estimated three to four tenths at venues like Barcelona. With Ferrari delivering a major step forward in Spain and Mercedes dominating the early season, Austria represents a pivotal moment in Red Bull's recovery campaign.

The details:

• Reality check: Mekies stated plainly that the Austrian package "alone will not be enough" and that the team must continue its trajectory of closing the gap rather than expecting a single leap.
• Weight loss: The RB22 is expected to shed significant mass in Austria as Red Bull pushes toward the 768kg minimum, having reportedly started the year roughly 10kg overweight.
• Power unit scrutiny: Red Bull is seeking answers from the FIA regarding ADUO benchmarking that labeled the RBPT DM01 as the benchmark power unit, a classification the team disputes when evaluating the complete package.
• Launch struggles: Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar have both suffered from inconsistent race starts, exposing a narrow operating window in Red Bull's maiden year as a standalone engine manufacturer.

What's next:

Red Bull aims to combine its Austria aerodynamic gains with the planned weight reduction to produce measurable lap time improvements. However, Mekies made clear that the team is bracing for a longer haul, with further upgrades required before the RB22 can consistently fight at the front.