Red Bull Admits Major Car Weakness as Verstappen Hopes Rest on New Upgrade

Red Bull Racing has finally admitted that the RB21 still carries major weaknesses after a disappointing start to the 2026 Formula 1 season. Technical director Pierre Wache stated that the upgrade package introduced in Miami delivered encouraging gains, but also exposed several underlying problems that had not previously been fully understood.

The Milton Keynes-based team entered the 2026 campaign expecting to remain at the front of Formula 1. Instead, Red Bull has suffered a noticeable drop in competitiveness against key rivals such as Mercedes, Ferrari, and McLaren. Across the opening four rounds, Red Bull has not managed to consistently challenge for podium finishes.

The team's best result so far remains fifth place for Max Verstappen at the Miami Grand Prix. Despite falling far below Red Bull's recent championship standards, the team internally viewed the Miami weekend as an important turning point after its latest development package began showing stronger data correlation.

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"Miami represented a clear step forward for us. The upgrade package delivered encouraging performance gains and helped address several key areas on the car," Wache explained.

"At the same time, it also highlighted weaknesses on the car and areas where we still need further improvement to extract the full overall performance."

The comments suggest Red Bull's problems extend beyond simple downforce limitations and are instead linked to a broader balance issue within the RB21 concept. Throughout the opening races, the car has repeatedly struggled with rear-end stability and tyre consistency, particularly during long-run phases and changing grip conditions.

The Miami package is believed to have focused heavily on improving underfloor aerodynamic efficiency and stabilising airflow towards the rear diffuser. However, the fact Red Bull still failed to rejoin the podium battle indicates the performance gap to Mercedes and Ferrari remains significant.

This weekend's Canadian Grand Prix is expected to become another critical validation point for the upgraded RB21 package. Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve's heavy braking zones, traction-sensitive exits and high top-speed demands will provide a very different technical challenge compared to Miami. Red Bull has also confirmed additional minor updates will arrive in Montreal as development continues.

"Canada will be another important test for this package together with some smaller updates this weekend. It is very positive to see the team's hard work starting to translate on track and we expect further car development heading into the European races," Wache added.

Pressure on Red Bull is now increasing because the current Formula 1 regulations make in-season development far more sensitive than during the team's previous period of dominance. With rivals introducing aggressive upgrades almost every race weekend, Red Bull no longer possesses the large performance cushion it once enjoyed.

For Verstappen, the RB21's development trajectory over the next several races could become decisive in maintaining his title ambitions. If the latest upgrades fail to genuinely close the gap to the front-running teams, Red Bull risks falling further behind before Formula 1 enters the European phase of the season, traditionally the most aggressive period in the technical development battle.