Red Bull maintains 2026 win target despite difficult start

Red Bull refuses to lower its ambitions

Red Bull technical director Pierre Waché insists the team’s objective has not changed despite a difficult opening half to the 2026 Formula 1 season: turning the RB22 into a race-winning car.

Speaking at the Hungarian Grand Prix, where Max Verstappen finished second to equal Red Bull’s best result of the year, Waché outlined a development programme that will run through to the end of the season. The priority is clear — recover enough performance to avoid Red Bull’s first winless campaign since 2015.

The same prospect faces Verstappen, who could end a season without a victory for the first time since his rookie year with Toro Rosso in 2015. The situation has also fuelled wider interest in his future, as reflected in our report on Stefano Domenicali’s discussions with Verstappen.

RB22 still searching for a workable window

The 2026 regulations have exposed several weaknesses in Red Bull’s package. The RB22 has struggled with a narrow operating window, persistent balance problems and excess weight. Early power unit reliability issues contributed to retirements for Verstappen and Isack Hadjar, while a hidden steering defect in the opening rounds deprived the drivers of front-end feel before it was identified and corrected.

Resolving those problems has not yet transformed Red Bull’s competitive position. After 11 rounds, the team remains broadly the fourth-fastest behind Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren, and is still waiting for its first victory of the season.

Waché acknowledged that the development task will not be unlimited. “For sure, in terms of efficiency, we have some limitations in the regulations that could limit what we are doing,” he told media.

Even so, Red Bull is treating every remaining update as an opportunity to understand the car and extract more performance. “We are trying to improve the car. Clearly, we have a development plan until the end of the year,” Waché said.

Winning remains the benchmark

Asked whether Verstappen can still target victories, Waché did not offer a firm prediction. The answer, however, was unambiguous in terms of intent: “Going for wins this year is what we aim for.”

He added that Red Bull would pursue every available measure to make the car capable of winning — for Verstappen or Hadjar. The challenge is no longer simply correcting the RB22’s early-season faults, but converting that learning into the pace required to return to the top step of the podium.