Verstappen on Red Bull and the new regulations
The four-time world champion once again showcased his racing spirit, while continuing to criticize Formula 1’s new technical regulations. He expressed satisfaction with the work Red Bull has done so far, but was equally clear in adding: “If we want to fight for wins, this is not enough. We need to improve.”
The first practice sessions of the Australian Grand Prix, the opening round of the 2026 F1 World Championship, provided the first performance snapshot of the teams after three pre-season tests that had offered only limited insights.
Red Bull has so far appeared as the fourth strongest team, behind the two Mercedes-powered top squads (McLaren and Toto Wolff’s team) and Ferrari. The positive aspect is the relatively small gap in qualifying pace from the fastest lap in FP2, but it is clear that debuting in F1 with a self-built power unit will take time to grow in every area.
Max Verstappen is fully aware of these initial challenges. The RB22 seems well-designed, and the Milton Keynes power unit is promising, but more effort, resources, and time will be needed to reach the level Laurent Mekies and his team envision.
Verstappen’s Friday reflections
“The pre-season tests were certainly good. The learning curve is very steep, and we did well. We completed many laps, so from that point of view, we couldn’t ask for much more. But in terms of performance, I’m not sure—we still have work to do to fight for the positions that matter. But this is something we had expected,” Verstappen said at the end of FP2.
“I’m not too focused on others. I’m just trying to give my best. We are positive, happy with what we’ve done so far, but we also know that if we want to fight for the top positions, we need to be faster. And that’s what we’ll work on.”
Racing spirit remains unchanged
The Dutch driver has been one of the main critics of the new technical regulations—not just during the first three months of 2026, but since last summer, when he first tested the embryonic RB22 in the Milton Keynes simulator. Despite his unchanged impressions of the new rules, Max once again showed his racing soul. If it were up to him, even if he had to race a shopping cart, he would always adopt the same approach: push whatever he drives to the absolute limit.
“Honestly, I don’t like overcomplicating things. If I have to drive this car, last year’s car, or even a shopping cart, I’ll drive it and push it to the limit. I’ll push the shopping cart to its limit, of course, within its capabilities.”
“You know what that means? That in the end, if it has a brake pedal, an accelerator, a steering wheel, a clutch, you simply have to drive it to the limit. You need to adapt and do what’s required. That’s why we’re here. We’ve trained for this all our lives, and good drivers will always stand out—they’ll always be at the top.”
Max Verstappen’s defiant “shopping cart” philosophy highlights his status as a pure racer, even as Red Bull navigates the complex teething issues of its first independent power unit. While the RB22 may currently sit as the fourth-fastest car on the Melbourne grid, Verstappen’s ability to adapt and find the absolute limit of any machinery suggests that as soon as the Milton Keynes engine finds its stride, the reigning champion will be ready to drag it back to the front of the field.
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