Red Bull’s uphill battle at Suzuka: Max Verstappen remains hopeful despite ERS reliability woes. Max Verstappen admits the first two F1 races of 2026 were harder than anticipated.

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen is heading to Suzuka determined to make up for a challenging start to the 2026 Formula 1 season. After a disappointing weekend in China, where he had to retire due to an ERS cooling system issue, Verstappen is optimistic about his chances on one of his favorite circuits.

Red Bull aiming for redemption at Suzuka

A year ago, Max Verstappen was outstanding at Suzuka, claiming pole position and victory in the Japanese Grand Prix ahead of McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. That triumph extended the Dutchman’s streak of consecutive wins in Japan to four editions, a remarkable achievement.

This year, predicting a fifth consecutive Suzuka victory is ambitious. The Red Bull RB22 is currently far from Mercedes and Ferrari in terms of performance. So far, Verstappen managed only a sixth-place finish in Australia, while teammate Isack Hadjar finished eighth in the Chinese Grand Prix. Both drivers have suffered one retirement each—a situation that was somewhat expected considering Red Bull’s debut as a constructor and engine supplier. Yet, winter testing had given the Milton Keynes team the hope of being closer to their rivals than reality proved in Melbourne and Shanghai.

Verstappen on the first two races

“The first two races have been a bit tougher than we hoped, and it was unfortunate to have to retire the car in China due to an ERS cooling system issue,” Max Verstappen said ahead of the Suzuka weekend. “There is still a lot to work on, but I have full confidence in the team. They have analyzed these problems and worked hard to optimize the car’s performance. Suzuka is one of my favorite circuits with lots of fast corners, so I’m looking forward to it.”

Isack Hadjar’s Suzuka connection

French driver Isack Hadjar celebrated his first F1 points at Suzuka last year with an impressive eighth-place finish. He emphasized his special connection with the Japanese track. “It’s my favorite track on the calendar,” Hadjar said. “It’s a circuit for true drivers, and it will be interesting to see what challenges these new regulations will bring. After this race, we won’t compete again until May, so this weekend is very important to continue learning the car and improving our understanding of its performance.”

Red Bull’s 2026 campaign is proving to be a steep learning curve as they transition into their new identity as an engine constructor. While the raw performance of the RB22 currently trails the frontrunners, the team is treating the Japanese Grand Prix as a vital data-gathering mission before the long April hiatus. Based on the content of the latest technical briefings, solving the cooling issues within the energy recovery system remains the top priority for the engineers in Milton Keynes.