Red Bull ended the first half of the 2026 Formula 1 season with an encouraging second place for Max Verstappen at the Hungarian Grand Prix, despite the handling problems both drivers encountered throughout the Hungaroring weekend. Team principal Laurent Mekies believes the result showed genuine progress, but warned that understanding the RB22’s narrow balance window remains a priority during the summer break.
A combination of Max Verstappen’s ability and a series of well-judged strategic decisions allowed the Milton Keynes team to maximise its result. However, the podium did not disguise a recurring weakness: Red Bull’s current package remains difficult for its drivers to interpret and exploit consistently.
Laurent Mekies praises Red Bull’s Hungarian GP execution
Like Max Verstappen after the race, Laurent Mekies admitted that second place had appeared unlikely before the start. Red Bull had struggled to give its drivers sufficient confidence in the car, leaving expectations relatively modest heading into Sunday.
“Looking at the pre-race expectations, we thought Lando Norris and the two Ferraris were out of reach,” Laurent Mekies explained. “We believed we could fight only with Mercedes and probably Oscar Piastri, but it turned out that we could also fight both Ferraris, with only Lando Norris beyond our reach.”
That unexpected level of competitiveness enabled Max Verstappen to finish behind only the McLaren of reigning world champion Lando Norris. The outcome was particularly positive given the difficulties Red Bull had experienced during practice and qualifying.
“There were several rather tricky strategic decisions for the guys, including the one under the Virtual Safety Car, but not only that,” Laurent Mekies added. “There was also the earlier decision not to cover Lewis Hamilton when he stopped, and as always, they made the right call. Congratulations to the pit wall, the factory team, the tyre team and the tyre specialists.”
“Overall, I think the execution of the race was very good. We struggled with our starts at the beginning of the year, but now we are managing them well, just as we are with the pit stops and strategy.”
Red Bull was prepared when the decisive moments arrived. Lewis Hamilton initially completed a successful undercut on Max Verstappen, but the Dutch driver quickly regained the position with an outstanding move under braking. Later, when the Virtual Safety Car was deployed, the pit wall kept the four-time world champion on track, allowing him to finish ahead of the Ferrari driver. A full Hungarian Grand Prix race recap details the late strategic developments that shaped the final order.
Although the team’s decision-making was strong, the weekend was not entirely smooth. The Red Bull driver also expressed frustration with traffic during the race, including in Max Verstappen’s unaired Hungarian GP radio message.
RB22 still denied Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar confidence
Red Bull’s pace on the Soft tyres offered further encouragement, but that performance was not representative of the entire race or weekend. Laurent Mekies acknowledged that neither Max Verstappen nor Isack Hadjar had been given a car they could confidently push to its limit.
“I don’t think we ever managed to give Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar a car with which they could push,” the Red Bull team principal said. “For example, if I look at the drivers’ feedback from Spa or Austria, they probably would have said that the car was more or less as it should be and allowed them to do what they wanted. But that was never the case this weekend.”
“Friday and Saturday were certainly worse than Sunday, but even during the race, the car was not giving the drivers a good feeling.”
The comments underline the challenge facing the team as it evaluates Isack Hadjar’s progress at Red Bull. Extracting performance from the RB22 is not simply a matter of outright speed; the drivers must also have the stability and confidence needed to access that potential consistently.
Max Verstappen’s sensitivity to the car’s behaviour remains especially valuable during that process. Laurent Mekies has previously explained how Max Verstappen can identify Red Bull problems that sensors miss, an ability that could prove important as the team tries to understand why its operating window is so narrow.
Red Bull has challenged for three consecutive podiums
Although the competitive order after the opening 11 races suggested Red Bull had slipped to the fourth-fastest package, the Hungarian Grand Prix provided reasons for optimism. Laurent Mekies stressed that Lando Norris was the only driver who appeared clearly faster than Max Verstappen, while the rest of the leading group operated at a similar or lower level.
“It was difficult for everyone, and I think it is right to recognise that only Lando Norris was clearly faster than Max Verstappen,” Laurent Mekies said. “Everyone else was at a similar level or slower. That is positive because it means we have room to improve with the current package.”
Speaking to Sky Sports F1, the French manager also highlighted the recent consistency of Red Bull’s challenge, even though the team has not yet returned to regular contention for victories.
“On both the chassis and power-unit sides, the package has confirmed that we have been fighting for the podium over the past three races,” Laurent Mekies explained. “Not quite for the victory, but everyone is working to find that final piece.”
The distinction is important. Red Bull appears close enough to capitalise when its race execution is strong, but it still lacks the predictable performance required to challenge for wins at every circuit. That uncertainty also forms part of the wider discussion over whether the team could consider an early end to RB22 development as attention begins to shift towards its 2027 project.
Red Bull must widen the RB22’s narrow balance window
As Max Verstappen also indicated, one of Red Bull’s main assignments during the summer break will be finding the key to interpreting the RB22 more consistently. The car has repeatedly proved difficult to place inside its optimum operating window, increasing the workload for both the drivers and engineers.
“We will try to understand why we are so close to the limit with the car’s balance, both through the corners and in terms of the performance deficit,” Laurent Mekies concluded. “In these recent races, putting the car into the correct window has been a complicated job for both the drivers and the team.”
The Hungarian result therefore offered Red Bull encouragement without providing a complete solution. Three consecutive races spent fighting for podium positions suggest the fundamental potential is present, but unlocking the final step will depend on making the RB22 less sensitive and giving Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar a car they can trust throughout an entire weekend.
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