Red Bull Mid-Season Review: An early summer resurgence offers hope
- Caitlyn Gordon
- 9 hours ago
- 5 min read
Red Bull entered 2026 with hope after a mighty comeback at the tail end of 2025, placing them in contention for the championship. But the new regulations have stunned the once-world champions, putting them on the back foot in the new era.
The Milton Keynes outfit entered 2026 with a newly rebuilt team as major names departed the squad last season. The first notable exit was Christian Horner, who stepped down as team principal after 20 years; longtime advisor Helmut Marko announced his retirement following the conclusion of the 2025 season, and there was a change in the cockpit as Isack Hadjar was promoted to the senior team, replacing Yuki Tsunoda.
While the personnel had a significant shakeup, the car itself underwent major transformations as Red Bull marked an important milestone by beginning to make its own power unit in-house, partnering with motoring giant Ford.
Heading into 2026, the team ended on a high, after a mid-season turn in performance provided the opportunity for Max Verstappen to chase down the dominant McLarens, finishing only two points behind the new world champion, Lando Norris. Formula One underwent its most dynamic regulatory change, and Red Bull aimed to carry the momentum into the unknown of 2026. But, as the season unfolded, disappointment became the headline of the team’s new beginning.
How has Red Bull fared in 2026 so far?
Looking back at pre-season testing, Red Bull showed promise, with the RB22 receiving praise from George Russell for the engine's consistency.
Some niggles impacted the team's running during the Bahrain testing, with hydraulic and coolant pressure issues hindering the car. But with some leeway before the first race in Australia, there was hope that the problems would be fixed.
However, the dream of a strong start to the season was abruptly interrupted after Verstappen’s rear axle locked, sending him spinning into the barriers, meaning the four-time world champion started the race from last.
While a dark cloud loomed above Verstappen’s garage, celebrations could be heard from Hadjar’s as the Frenchman sealed his best qualifying result of third place. On Sunday, the roles were reversed as a mechanical issue meant Hadjar was forced to retire on lap 10, while the Dutchman’s impressive recovery drive meant he crossed the line in sixth.
The following weekend in China didn’t go much better as another mechanical issue, this time impacting Verstappen’s race, meant the Flying Dutchman’s car lost drive at the exit of Turn 6 with the screen on his steering wheel switching off as well.
As the cars headed to Miami, it was becoming obvious that Red Bull’s package was only the fourth-fastest on the grid, making it difficult for either driver to compete for a podium, let alone a race win. But the team brought upgrades to its car with hopes of catching up to its competitors before they were out of reach.
Following another disappointing weekend in Miami, the upgrades proved effective as Verstappen sealed the team's first podium of the season at the Canadian Grand Prix, with Hadjar not far behind in fifth place.
The positives continued with two more fourth-place finishes in Monaco and Barcelona before another podium in Austria. In the two races before the summer break, Verstappen secured two more podiums, with Hadjar also finishing within the top-10, placing a positive light on Red Bull as they headed into the summer break.
Drivers’ Head-to-Head Performance
After a successful season with Red Bull’s sister team, Racing Bulls, Hadjar was promoted to the second Red Bull seat, partnering with Verstappen. Since stepping up, the Frenchman has been the closest teammate to the Dutchman since Daniel Ricciardo in 2019, with Hadjar’s qualifying delta deficit only 0.1s.
In terms of the head-to-head for 2026, the Dutchman leads 8-3 in qualifying; the scoring is the same in races, though Hadjar has recorded eight top-tens throughout the 11 rounds; two retirements have hindered his points, meaning the 21-year-old sits in eighth with 68 points.
On the other side of the garage, Verstappen has suffered three retirements, but has finished on the podium four times, pushing the four-time world champion to fourth in the standings, with 48 points separating him from Hadjar.
Best Moments
Red Bull has been able to seal a handful of solid performances throughout the season, with Hadjar’s fourth place in Monaco and Verstappen’s selection of podiums. Undoubtedly, the best weekend for Red Bull has been the Hungarian Grand Prix; the team secured their most points this weekend with second- and sixth-place finishes. The race weekend showcased the new upgrade package the Milton Keynes-based team had been working on.
An area the team aimed to improve was their pace deficit, which was over a second behind their competitors in Australia; the team has worked hard to close that gap. Alongside pace, aerodynamic changes to the rear end have improved downforce, increasing rear grip and traction.
Worst Moments
There are a few bad moments from the season so far that could be written in this section, with five total retirements recorded over the 11 rounds. But one of Red Bull’s worst weekends wasn’t one of those retirements; Japan was a weekend to forget for both drivers.
Verstappen experienced difficulties in practice with a lack of pace hindering his running time, which carried into qualifying, where the Dutchman was the shock exit in Q2. When his radio was replayed, Verstappen gave a damning statement about the RB22, labelling the car “undriveable.”
But while Saturday was a disappointment, the frustration continued into Sunday. While he initially made his way into the top-10, he was unable to overtake his former teammate, Pierre Gasly. He continued to struggle with balance issues and crossed the line in eighth.
The other side of the garage didn’t fare much better with Hadjar finishing in 12th. The Frenchman had a much better Saturday in comparison to Verstappen, as he slotted his RB22 into eighth.
But like his teammate, he was struggling with the car, as Hadjar reported severe battery depletion and was similarly stuck behind another driver for a majority of the race, this time Arvid Lindblad. He worked his way through the traffic, but wasn’t able to recover into the top-10.
The team left the weekend with only four points, two frustrated drivers and looming questions about what had happened to the once-world champions.
Looking Ahead
Despite a difficult season for Red Bull, an early summer resurgence sets the team up for a strong second half of the season. While a championship fight might be off the cards for 2026, consistent results could place Red Bull in the fight for third in the Constructors' standings.
Another crucial aspect of Red Bull’s season is yet to be decided, as rumours around Verstappen’s future loom. Since the beginning of the season, the Dutchman has been vocal about his criticism of the new regulations, so much so that he has made several remarks about considering retirement at the end of the season.
With Red Bull’s disappointing start, a clause in Verstappen’s contract has been triggered: if he isn’t in the top two drivers by the summer break, he is free to leave the team.
This has prompted speculation about whether he will change the colour of his overalls for 2027. But while the off-track chaos continues to unfold, on-track, the positives seem to keep unfolding as the team looks to be returning to form.
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