A major puzzle surrounds the Red Bull garage following a dramatic race at the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace Interlagos, where Max Verstappen shockingly complained of extreme balance shifts after switching tires. Starting from the very back of the grid due to a power unit penalty, the world champion initially stunned the paddock with a blistering charge through the field, breaking into the top five in fewer than fifteen laps.
However, that incredible momentum suddenly vanished the moment he transitioned to slick compounds. The shifting track conditions forced the Dutch driver into an intense battle against extreme oversteer that completely baffled him after such a strong opening. "Unfortunately, after that, I don't know if we picked up some kind of damage because the car felt like the complete opposite to anything that I felt the whole weekend, with some really weird balance," Verstappen explained right after crossing the finish line.
This puzzling setback was far from just a soft-tire specific limitation. When the team bolted intermediate rubber back onto his RB22 for the final stint, the handling characteristics remained drastically different compared to his dominant opening laps. "Even when I switched back to the inter tyres at the end, the car was night and day different to my first stint, which shows that there is something wrong," Verstappen added.
Addressing these pressing concerns, team principal Laurent Mekies admitted that the engineering squad must thoroughly analyze telemetry data to diagnose the underlying gremlin. Yet, Mekies also remained realistic about the sheer pace of McLaren, who arrived with another successful aerodynamic package upgrade this weekend. The team boss noted that even from a high grid slot, matching Lando Norris's raw race pace would have proven a monumental challenge.
Comprehensive evaluation is now underway as Milton Keynes prepares for the final three rounds of the 2026 Formula 1 championship calendar. Whether Red Bull can pinpoint an aero loss or hidden structural damage that robbed Verstappen of victory in Brazil remains the critical question heading into the Las Vegas Street Circuit.
Baca Juga
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