Red Bull admits Verstappen's 'car degradation' issue won't be fixed in 2026

Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies has admitted Max Verstappen's 'car degradation' issue will not be fully fixed before the end of the F1 2026 season. The problem, separate from tyre degradation, has left Red Bull winless in an inconsistent RB22 campaign.

Why it matters:

Verstappen's damage-limitation drives have masked the RB22's weaknesses, but a car that loses performance during a session costs serious lap time. With Red Bull sometimes fourth among the top four teams, that instability can be the difference between a podium and a lost weekend.

The details:

• Verstappen first flagged it after a qualifying spin at the Hungarian GP: 'We don't have tyre deg, we have car degradation.'
• Mekies stressed it is separate from the rear-wing downforce reattachment issues that caused spins in Austria and Great Britain.
• He has told Dutch media he has to hold back from attacking kerbs because rear components are not strong enough to take the punishment — a concern for 'years'.
• 'We keep having different problems all the time, and that's probably the biggest issue at the moment,' Verstappen said.
• After Verstappen finished second in Madrid, Mekies admitted: 'I don't think we are going to explain what it is and how we are going to fix it.'
• 'It's some aspect of the car's performance that sometimes doesn't stay at the optimum level, and it's serious lap time,' he added.

What's next:

Red Bull says it has made 'positive steps', but Mekies warned the fix will not be quick. 'It will not be fast, so it's something that probably will take us through next year,' he said, pointing to the RB23 as the realistic fix.