Mekies admits Red Bull's degradation is here to stay: "It will probably take us through next year"

Max Verstappen has been vocal about a recurring issue that seems to plague the Red Bull RB22: a significant loss of performance over the course of a session or race. This degradation, often manifesting at the rear axle, has become a major talking point throughout this Formula 1 season. The frustration reached a boiling point during qualifying at Monza, where Verstappen famously described the car as being “made of paper.”

A Long-Standing Issue

When asked about the technical root causes, Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies was candid about the difficulty of the task. “I don't think we are going to explain what it is and how we are going to fix it,” Mekies stated, though he acknowledged the driver's accuracy. “Max is right... there is an element of car performance degradation that is happening through a session and through a race. He's also right in saying that it's not a new issue.”

Mekies emphasized that the team is not ignoring the problem, describing it as a “complex issue” that requires small, incremental steps toward a solution. While Red Bull is still chasing the RB22's “car degradation”, the team is attempting to learn from every session.

Looking Toward 2027

There is evidence that these small steps are yielding results. Following the struggles at Monza, Red Bull applied lessons learned during F1’s first visit to Madrid, where the degradation issue did not appear to be as severe. However, Mekies warned that a complete fix is not imminent.

The reality is that certain fundamental issues may require much larger design and chassis changes to resolve, potentially shifting the focus toward 2027. Constraints such as the budget cap and a strategic pivot toward future regulations mean that the RB22 may never reach its theoretical optimum.

For Verstappen, the outlook for the remainder of the season is tempered by reality. Having already conceded he is no longer a central figure in the title fight, he is simply hunting for race wins. If he fails to secure a victory this year, it will mark the first time since 2015 that he has gone an entire season without a win.