Red Bull has received another encouraging verdict on the major RB22 upgrade package introduced in Baku, with the new components performing even better than expected during Friday practice at Sepang. Pierre Waché admitted the team had arrived in Malaysia without great optimism over how the package would translate to such a different circuit, but the early signs were surprisingly positive.
The changes introduced for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix included weight reduction, narrower sidepods and a revised floor edge. Those modifications are producing clear aerodynamic benefits even at Sepang, a circuit with characteristics very different from the streets of Baku.
Red Bull Baku upgrades pass a different test at Sepang
For the second Friday in succession, Red Bull found itself encouraged by the upgrades introduced at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. After the opening two practice sessions for the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, the team led by Laurent Mekies saw further evidence that its latest major RB22 development package is working effectively.
The Baku package had already delivered encouraging signs when it first appeared, with Red Bull confirming that the new floor and revised sidepod concept had broadly translated from simulation to the circuit. At Sepang, however, the car faced a very different combination of corners, speeds and environmental conditions.
After FP2, technical director Pierre Waché explained how demanding the opening day had been.
“Personally, it was a difficult day because of the heat. It was complicated for the car as well, and the same was true for the tyres. Also, the track had not seen many cars running before our session, so it was quite dirty and dusty, and the grip changed a lot during the session.”
The conditions were particularly extreme, with the track temperature reaching a level Red Bull had not previously experienced with the current generation of car.
“The temperatures were extremely high: the track reached 60°C, a temperature we had never reached before with this type of car. Yes, it was difficult and the balance of the car was also quite complicated to manage. But it’s a learning process for the rest of the weekend.”
Pierre Waché admits Red Bull was not optimistic before Sepang
The most encouraging aspect for Red Bull was how well its Baku package behaved across a broader range of corner types.
“To be honest, we weren’t very optimistic at the start of the weekend. The main objective for us was to evaluate the package we introduced in Baku in different types of corners and at low speeds,” Pierre Waché explained.
“It seems to work better than the previous package. It’s difficult to judge our relative performance here, but we were surprisingly satisfied with where we found ourselves today.”
The assessment represents another positive step for the RB22 after Red Bull brought what is expected to be its final significant upgrade package of 2026 to Azerbaijan. The development programme has therefore produced useful gains across two circuits with very different requirements.
Why Max Verstappen used only Medium tyres in FP2
Max Verstappen followed an unusual tyre programme across Friday practice. The four-time world champion worked only with the Soft compound during FP1 before using exclusively Medium tyres in FP2.
Red Bull placed particular emphasis on evaluating the Medium compound over long runs, allowing the team to gather as much race data as possible ahead of Sunday.
The information should also help Red Bull understand how the circuit is likely to evolve and what set-up changes may be required as grip increases between FP3 and qualifying.
Pierre Waché explained that the programme was partly influenced by the weather forecast.
“We had expected rain. We didn’t want to compromise the long run, which I think is the most important thing for this weekend, especially in terms of degradation and understanding how the tyres behave, particularly the Medium, because we didn’t have data on the Medium.”
“We prioritised that and, by that point, it was already too late to use the Soft.”
Max Verstappen delivers encouraging Medium-tyre long run
Max Verstappen produced an interesting stint on the Medium compound, completing numerous laps on the same set while maintaining consistent performance.
The run was encouraging enough to place the Red Bull driver among the obvious contenders heading into the remainder of the weekend, although Pierre Waché stressed that comparing outright performance between teams remains difficult.
Both Mercedes and McLaren also appeared strong over longer runs, while teams were using different engine and energy-management settings.
“Certainly Mercedes and McLaren also look quite quick on the long runs. Everyone is playing with engine and energy management,” Pierre Waché said.
That uncertainty makes it difficult to establish the true competitive order from Friday alone, but Red Bull’s satisfaction with the upgrade package provides a positive foundation ahead of qualifying and the race.
Red Bull discovers overtaking could be difficult at Sepang
One concern to emerge from Friday was the apparent difficulty of overtaking, even when there was a substantial performance advantage between two cars.
Pierre Waché believes that could make qualifying particularly important.
“Qualifying is still important. We were surprised by how difficult it was to overtake a lapped car. Even with a huge performance advantage, it was difficult to do it. It’s quite important to manage to be ahead.”
Track position could therefore become a major factor in Sunday’s race, especially if the gaps between the leading teams remain small.
The broader championship situation can be followed in the Formula 1 driver standings, but Red Bull’s immediate focus at Sepang is extracting the maximum from a package that has now shown encouraging behaviour on two very different circuits.
Weather could still change the competitive order
Malaysia’s weather remains another major variable. Conditions can change rapidly not only during sessions but also between them, potentially altering the grip level and complicating the set-up decisions made by the teams.
Red Bull has limited experience with the RB22 in genuinely wet conditions, which leaves Pierre Waché unsure how the latest version of the car would perform if rain arrives.
“There is a chance of rain every day, in every session. We have never really run in the wet. The first time we ran in the rain was during the winter testing in Barcelona. The car has evolved a lot since then. We don’t know how it will behave in those conditions.”
“It will be a surprise. I hope it can add a little unpredictability, especially from a strategy point of view and in terms of the opportunities we will have to manage the situation,” Pierre Waché concluded.
With the weather, tyre degradation and overtaking difficulty all potentially influencing the weekend, Friday has provided Red Bull with encouragement rather than definitive answers. What is already clearer is that the Baku package has translated successfully to Sepang, giving Max Verstappen and the team a stronger technical platform for the decisive sessions ahead.
The 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix at Sepang schedule and circuit guide includes the remaining practice, qualifying and race timings for the Malaysian weekend.
Leave a Reply