Ralf Schumacher slams Red Bull: “RB22 must be completely redesigned”. Ralf Schumacher criticizes Red Bull’s struggles in 2026.

Red Bull in decline

Over the past two years, Red Bull has gone through periods of instability both technically and at a management level. The Milton Keynes-based team did an excellent job of isolating its on-track performance from off-track turbulence, managing to win the 2024 World Championship and fighting all the way to the final corner for the 2025 title against a clearly superior McLaren, thanks in large part to the exceptional talent of Max Verstappen.

At the start of the 2026 season, however, not even the Dutch superstar has been able to pull Red Bull out of the sand. The RB22 is showing clear weaknesses in what was once its greatest strength—the chassis—and the team has been forced to reorganize its technical department, promoting Ben Waterhouse. According to Ralf Schumacher, very little can be salvaged at Milton Keynes, which would require a major internal overhaul, starting with team principal Laurent Mekies.

Schumacher’s comments

“I like Laurent, but that is not his role. He knows how to recruit the best people to work with,” Ralf Schumacher said on the Backstage Boxengasse podcast. “Right now everything around him is in turmoil. The car is a disaster, it’s heavy and nervous, and even Max cannot manage it. It should be completely redesigned.”

Schumacher then renewed his criticism of technical director Pierre Waché, following remarks already made in 2025: “A major update is coming, but everyone is holding their breath—they are losing ground. To be honest, I am not optimistic, because I believe Waché is unable to bring the technology and the driver into harmony.”

In conclusion, Red Bull’s decline in the 2026 season highlights the fragility of a team once thought to be invincible. With internal leadership under fire and the RB22 failing to provide Verstappen with a stable platform, the upcoming upgrades represent a do-or-die moment for the technical team. If Schumacher’s assessment is correct, Milton Keynes may need more than just a few new parts to find its way back to the front of the grid. Only time will tell if the current leadership can bridge the gap between their ambitious technology and the needs of their star driver.