Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar are urging Red Bull to treat the remainder of 2026 as a massive learning curve. The goal is clear: ensure the team returns to title contention in 2027. With seven or eight races left, depending on the Middle East situation, Red Bull's dual objectives are taking shape.
First, they aim to avoid their first winless season since 2015. Second, and perhaps more crucially, gather as much data as possible for next year's car. Verstappen even suggests that learning for 2027 is arguably more important than chasing wins. "We have to wait a little bit now in the coming races to see how our car is going to perform, which is probably also quite good for us, to see all these different kinds of tracks," he said.
The Dutchman added that the team will learn a lot about what they need for next year. "We're not fighting for the championship anyway, so for us it's a big learning curve. But, of course, the last few weekends have already been a lot better than the start of the season." This statement confirms that Red Bull's focus has shifted from immediate results to long-term foundations.
Hadjar, who has broken the curse of Red Bull's second seat, wholeheartedly agrees. According to him, the remaining eight races are a golden opportunity to try everything, even if it means making mistakes. "We have to try all the things, make all the mistakes now and do all the learning to arrive in 2027 ready to roll and start on high. That's the target and that's the spirit in the team," he said. That spirit, Hadjar notes, has permeated the entire team.
Verstappen has already revealed that he has ideas about "bigger changes" for the 2027 car, adjustments needed to make Red Bull competitive again and prevent the "car degradation" from returning. Unfortunately, those changes cannot be applied to the RB22 this season due to chassis limitations and the budget cap. The Baku package was the final significant upgrade for this year's challenger, although Verstappen expressed satisfaction with it. "That was a decent step, yeah. But for next year, if we really want to compete, we need to make a much bigger step. And that applies to everything: the car, the power unit, everything," he stressed.
When reminded that Red Bull cannot do much to the power unit without an ADUO token, Verstappen remains optimistic. He acknowledges that regulatory constraints pose a challenge, but that doesn't mean the team is powerless. A focus on comprehensive improvement is key. With the remaining races no longer determining championship positions, Red Bull has the freedom to experiment without pressure on results.
This approach aligns with the team's philosophy of building a strong foundation ahead of the new regulations. Verstappen and Hadjar agree that every mistake made now is an investment for the future. Whether in car setup, race strategy, or technical understanding, all will be valuable assets. There is no fear of trying risky things, because the end result is not the main priority.
With seven races remaining after Baku, Red Bull has enough time to test various solutions. They can evaluate performance on different tracks, gather data for development, and ensure that the 2027 car does not inherit the same weaknesses. For Verstappen and Hadjar, the rest of this season is not about trophies, but about rebuilding Red Bull's glory for the future.
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