Red Bull targets wins for rest of 2026 despite RB22 struggles

Red Bull has endured a nightmare start to the 2026 Formula 1 season, but technical director Pierre Waché insists the team can still win before the checkered flag falls in Abu Dhabi. Despite the RB22's chronic struggles, Milton Keynes is pressing ahead with a development plan that runs through the season finale.

Why it matters:

A winless campaign would snap Red Bull's long streak of annual victories and mark its first such season since 2015. For Max Verstappen, it would mean ending a year without a win for the first time since his rookie Toro Rosso days, while teammate Isack Hadjar is also desperate for a breakthrough. Getting the car back to the front is essential for morale and for proving the team has not lost its edge in the new regulatory era.

The details:

• Speaking from the Hungarian Grand Prix, Waché made clear the objective is simple: make the RB22 a race winner. Verstappen's second-place finish at the Hungaroring was only the team's second P2 result this year.
• The car has suffered from a narrow operating window, stubborn balance problems, and excess weight. Early power unit reliability forced retirements for both drivers, while a hidden steering defect in the opening rounds robbed them of front-end feel before it was finally rectified.
• Even with those issues resolved, Red Bull has remained broadly the fourth-fastest outfit on the grid, trailing Mercedes, Ferrari, and McLaren after 11 rounds.
• Waché noted that regulatory limits on development efficiency are constraining the scope of upgrades, but emphasized the team will exploit every avenue available to get both Verstappen and Hadjar onto the top step.

What's next:

Red Bull is hoping its end-of-season development push can bridge the gap to the frontrunners. Waché admitted predicting exactly when a victory might arrive is difficult, but affirmed that both drivers will benefit from every update. Whether Milton Keynes can avoid a historically rare winless season now hinges on translating its understanding of the 2026 regulations into consistent race-winning pace.