Is Red Bull unstoppable? Is the RB22 the car to beat in F1 2026, even with Max Verstappen behind the wheel? These are some of the questions swirling in fans’ minds in recent days. The Milton Keynes team has shown glimpses of performance while hiding much more. After extensive work since the end of the Sakhir tests and a thorough study of the collected data, we can draw some sharper conclusions. Here’s what we found and why.
Red Bull RB22 under the radar: concealing the true potential
In recent hours, we analyzed in extreme detail the massive amount of data collected during the second three-day testing session in Bahrain. In doing so, we developed a system to construct an accurate summary of what we observed.
Each team followed different programs that only occasionally overlapped. For this reason, cross-referencing the information is far from simple, and everything can appear very confusing. Time was needed to read between the lines.
Adding to the complexity, the teams deliberately tried to hide their performance. To gain a broad indication of longitudinal and lateral grip levels, we compared accelerations in a scatter graph, highlighting the cars’ abilities under braking, acceleration, and cornering.
The “circles” seen in the graph are obtained by interpolating the best performances of each car, also accounting for potential errors in the data acquisition system.
The first graph examines the fastest lap of the four top teams on the last day of testing. Looking at the cornering capabilities, Ferrari clearly dominates, followed by Mercedes. McLaren and Red Bull appear significantly behind, suggesting a lack of high-speed lateral grip. The SF-26 also leads in traction zones, while braking data are more similar across the board, except for the MCL40, which still seems off the pace.
To extract more useful insights, we created a second graph considering all laps of each driver during the final day of testing, which we regard as the most representative. It is immediately noticeable that the polygon shapes change drastically. The area increases, revealing substantial differences. Specific conclusions can be drawn from each polygon’s configuration. While aggregating even more data could be useful, we avoided overcomplicating the presentation for readability.
Bahrain tests: RB22 hides performance with power unit mapping
We can say with confidence that the Milton Keynes team deliberately concealed their pace. This becomes evident when progressively examining different track sectors. On its fastest lap, the RB22 appeared less solid in corners, while on slower, incomplete laps, it showed very strong performance in mid-corner support. In other laps, it seemed weaker at high speeds on the straights.
Telemetry traces from these individual laps vary, creating a confusing overall impression of the car. For this reason, Red Bull ran “sequential” programs, unlike Ferrari, which chose to reveal more by setting the fastest lap of the tests. This results in very different polygon shapes between runs, making it necessary to focus on Red Bull’s best laps, as shown in the second graph.
It should be noted that the Austrian car never demonstrated traction levels matching the SF-26. For this reason, we believe the team experimented extensively with power unit mappings. From on-track observations, we know that the mechanics never added ballast to the car. Data from braking phases confirm this, showing very solid deceleration in certain runs. The most revealing insights, however, come from high-speed corners.
Although Ferrari achieved the best results in this fundamental area, in broader radius corners it is clear that Red Bull achieved higher lateral load peaks. This largely points to sandbagging, where Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar, following precise instructions from former Ferrari engineer Laurent Mekies, did not push as hard as they could have.
Leave a Reply