Red Bull enjoyed its strongest weekend of the 2026 Formula 1 season at its home circuit in Austria, where Max Verstappen finished second after a dramatic turnaround following qualifying.
A major upgrade package, combined with a further reduction in the RB22’s weight, transformed the car’s competitiveness at the Red Bull Ring. There is also growing speculation inside the paddock that Red Bull Powertrains may have gained an additional advantage from using the largest turbocharger currently found on the Formula 1 grid.
Weight reduction continues to pay off
Even before Austria, Max Verstappen had already produced several outstanding qualifying performances during the 2026 campaign. At both the Miami and Monaco Grands Prix, the Dutchman put the Red Bull RB22 on the front row despite the car not yet matching the pace of Mercedes over a full race distance.
However, those impressive qualifying efforts were quickly undone once the lights went out.
In Miami, the Dutchman spun on the opening lap and dropped into the middle of the pack. In Monaco, his race was effectively over before it had even begun.
Austria told a very different story.
The RB22 let Max Verstappen down during Q3 when a technical issue caused him to run off the circuit during his second flying lap, leaving him only fifth on the starting grid. On Sunday, however, Red Bull responded with an excellent race, allowing Max Verstappen to recover to second place—his best result, and the team’s strongest finish, of the 2026 Formula 1 season.
The Austrian Grand Prix also marked the introduction of a significant upgrade package, alongside the second stage of Red Bull’s weight-reduction programme for the RB22. The first phase had already been introduced at the Miami Grand Prix.
Does Red Bull have the biggest turbo on the grid?
According to reports highlighted by AutoRacer.it, there is increasing speculation throughout the Formula 1 paddock that Red Bull Powertrains is using the largest turbocharger on the current grid, together with particularly generous intake ducts.
At a circuit located more than 600 metres above sea level, where the air is considerably less dense, such a configuration may have provided an additional performance advantage compared to Red Bull’s rivals.
The theory is also supported by another characteristic observed on the RB22 this season: its difficult race starts.
Those slower launches could be explained by increased turbo lag—the delay between throttle application and the turbocharger reaching full operating speed. In general, the larger the turbocharger, the longer it takes to spool up, which naturally increases turbo lag before maximum boost is delivered.
If that interpretation proves correct, Red Bull’s power unit configuration may have been particularly well suited to the unique conditions at the Red Bull Ring, helping explain why the Milton Keynes team took such a significant step forward during its home Grand Prix weekend.
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