Max Verstappen has admitted that the Red Bull RB22 does not excel in either slow or high-speed corners, raising concerns about the team’s competitiveness ahead of the 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix. The four-time Formula 1 world champion believes the unusual conditions created by Mexico City’s altitude could expose the car’s limitations, particularly in low-speed sections. His assessment follows a disappointing United States Grand Prix in which strategy decisions, technical problems and continuing difficulties with race starts prevented Red Bull from achieving its expected performance.
Red Bull arrives in Mexico City needing to confirm the progress made in recent weeks while also addressing several unanswered questions from Austin. Although Max Verstappen finished third in Texas, the result fell short of the team’s expectations, particularly because of the performance gap to Mercedes and a series of problems that prevented the RB22 from exploiting its full potential. The Dutchman’s race was affected by several difficulties, including engine-related problems that contributed to his frustrating Austin podium finish.
Max Verstappen explains why the Red Bull RB22 struggles in slow and fast corners
Ahead of the Mexico City Grand Prix, Max Verstappen offered a detailed assessment of the RB22’s characteristics, clarifying comments he made after the United States Grand Prix. The Red Bull driver had described his car as essentially average, a surprising judgement considering the considerable improvements the team has achieved during the second half of the season.
“I didn’t say that our car was average only at that circuit compared to the others,” Max Verstappen clarified. “What I meant was that we’re not the fastest in slow corners, and we’re not the fastest in fast corners either. That means our car probably sits somewhere in the middle across all these different types of corners. At some circuits that can work well, while at others it can be more of a limitation.”
It is an interesting assessment because it describes a car that has reached a respectable level of competitiveness without possessing a particularly pronounced strength. Red Bull can perform effectively at circuits where the overall compromise of its package works well, but it risks encountering greater difficulties when a track demands especially strong performance through a specific category of corners.
The limitations are particularly important when considering the different technical demands of the remaining races. The RB22’s overall balance may allow Max Verstappen to challenge his rivals at certain venues, but the absence of a clear advantage in either slow or fast corners leaves the team more exposed when circuit characteristics favour a particular strength.
Why Mexico City’s extreme altitude could expose Red Bull’s weaknesses
The Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez presents an unusual test for Formula 1 machinery. Situated more than 2,200 metres above sea level, the circuit creates operating conditions that are very different from those encountered at most other venues. The reduced air density decreases aerodynamic effectiveness, forcing teams to use maximum-downforce configurations without generating the same levels of grip that those wings would produce at lower-altitude circuits.
Max Verstappen expects these conditions to be particularly demanding, especially because of the importance of low-speed cornering performance. With the Red Bull RB22 already struggling to distinguish itself in this area, the reduction in available downforce could make finding a competitive set-up even more difficult.
“There’s much less grip here,” Max Verstappen explained. “With the altitude, we normally try to compensate by using bigger wings, but now we essentially race with just one wing configuration. So there will be much less downforce on the car, and I think it will already be quite a difficult challenge. That will probably make performance in the slow corners even more important.”
The concern is understandable given the characteristics of the Mexican circuit. Several sections place considerable emphasis on traction and the ability to generate mechanical grip, particularly towards the end of the lap, where slower corners and changes of direction demand precise car control. If the RB22 cannot produce particularly strong performance through these sections, the reduced aerodynamic load could make finding the correct compromise even more challenging.
Mexico’s unusual conditions are not exclusively a concern for Red Bull. Ferrari also faces a demanding weekend, with Fred Vasseur warning about the cooling and grip challenges awaiting the SF-26 at the 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix.
Red Bull faces additional power unit and cooling challenges in Mexico
Alongside the uncertainties surrounding the chassis, Red Bull must also consider how its power unit will perform in the thin air. Mexico City’s altitude changes the operating conditions of both the engine and turbocharger, making temperature management another particularly delicate aspect of the weekend.
Asked whether turbo lag could become a problem under these conditions, Max Verstappen explained that there is relatively little a driver can do directly. Instead, the Dutchman expects Red Bull and its rivals to spend time fine-tuning their systems throughout the weekend.
“From our point of view, there isn’t much the driver can do,” Max Verstappen explained. “There will probably need to be some fine-tuning during the weekend, for everyone, ourselves included. We’ll have to understand where to operate the engine and how to manage cooling for the car and the brakes. It’s a really extreme circuit in that respect.”
The challenge therefore extends beyond finding aerodynamic grip. Red Bull must also determine how to operate its power unit effectively while keeping the car and braking systems within their required temperature ranges, making the Mexican weekend a particularly demanding exercise in technical optimisation.
Max Verstappen admits Red Bull made strategy mistakes at Austin
Another subject addressed by Max Verstappen was Red Bull’s disappointing performance at the United States Grand Prix. The team failed to meet its pre-race expectations in Austin, and the Dutchman confirmed that the result was influenced by a combination of factors rather than one decisive problem. Strategy was among the areas in which Red Bull believes it could have performed better, particularly given the unexpectedly strong performance of the hard tyre during the race.
“I think we could have done a better job with the tyre choice,” Max Verstappen admitted. “But I also think not many people expected the hard tyres to be so competitive, because they hadn’t been in the last few races. These things can happen.”
The effectiveness of the hard compound became one of the important strategic developments in Austin, with Ferrari also benefiting from the tyre’s performance. The improvement in Ferrari’s race pace on hard tyres demonstrated how significantly the compound influenced the competitive picture during the Grand Prix.
However, Red Bull’s difficulties were not limited to decisions made on the pit wall. Max Verstappen revealed that the team also experienced several technical problems during the race, including issues involving the power unit.
“We also had a lot of other small problems, both with the car and the engine, which contributed to us losing time. When you add all these things together, the loss becomes significant, and it certainly compromised our overall performance.”
The Dutchman did not provide specific details about the individual faults, but he emphasised that their combined effect had a tangible impact on the result. Rather than one major failure deciding the outcome, Red Bull suffered a succession of difficulties that gradually reduced its competitiveness.
“We need to try to understand how and why these things happened, and of course learn from the strategic decisions we made in Austin as well. Normally we’re always very good in these areas, but sometimes you have a weekend that you need to learn from in order to do better.”
The frustration surrounding Red Bull’s Austin performance was also reflected in Max Verstappen’s demand for answers from the team following the United States Grand Prix. With Mexico presenting another challenging set of conditions, avoiding a repeat of those problems will be particularly important.
Red Bull race starts remain an unresolved problem for Max Verstappen
Race starts are another area that continues to concern Red Bull. The difficulty has emerged repeatedly throughout the 2026 season, and despite the team’s efforts, a fully satisfactory solution has yet to be found. Max Verstappen explained that there is now very little he can change personally, while adjustments to the starting procedures have not produced the improvements the team had hoped for.
“It won’t be easy,” Max Verstappen admitted. “There’s nothing I can change in my procedure. We’ve already tried many things, and so far it hasn’t been enough. It’s not a disastrous situation, but it’s not good enough.”
His assessment suggests that the problems extend beyond the driver’s handling of the launch procedure. When asked whether improvements could be achieved without making hardware changes, Max Verstappen offered little reassurance, underlining the difficulty Red Bull faces in finding a definitive solution.
These continuing shortcomings add another complication to the team’s efforts to recover competitiveness. Even when the RB22 performs well enough in qualifying, a poor getaway can undermine its track position before the race has properly developed.
Red Bull also working to resolve recurring radio communication issues
Radio communication problems, which have caused difficulties during recent races, also remain under investigation. Max Verstappen explained that the situation was less troublesome in Austin and did not directly affect his performance, although the team still wants to eliminate the recurring interruptions.
“It’s a bit strange that we’ve had so many difficulties with the radio. In Austin, at least, most of the communications came through and we didn’t lose anything because of it. Of course, we’d like to have a radio that works normally, and it’s something we’re trying to resolve as soon as possible.”
The combination of aerodynamic limitations, power unit concerns, strategy decisions, inconsistent starts and communication difficulties illustrates the range of challenges Red Bull continues to face. Although the RB22 has become more competitive during the second half of the season, Max Verstappen’s comments make clear that several weaknesses remain unresolved.
Mexico City’s extreme altitude now threatens to place even greater emphasis on some of those shortcomings, particularly the car’s performance in slow corners and its ability to manage cooling effectively. For Red Bull, the objective will be to build on its recent progress while ensuring that the problems experienced in Austin do not prevent the team from making the most of its available performance once again.
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