Red Bull targets RB22 instability as 2026 gap narrows

Red Bull Racing says it is working through major technical problems in the second half of the 2026 Formula 1 season, with the focus on eliminating inconsistent performance that can worsen as a race weekend unfolds.

Technical leadership has confirmed the core issues on the RB22 chassis: instability on corner entry and understeer in the middle of the corner. The team says these traits have reduced driver confidence and cut into overall race pace across the first half of the season.

RB22 handling traits undermine consistency

Red Bull’s comments point to mechanical limitations rather Red Bull’s comments point to mechanical limitations rather than a single isolated flaw. Officials described a car that can feel less predictable from session to session, making it harder to build a stable setup across practice, qualifying, and the race. The team has linked the handling characteristics to a wider performance shortfall that has so far left it without the pace needed to mount a sustained championship challenge. The stated priority for the rest of the season is to deliver a more stable platform and a repeatable performance window. Verstappen flags weekend-to-weekend “degradation” Driver Max Verstappen said a fresh problem appears each weekend and pointed to “car degradation” during the Hungarian Grand Prix, describing a situation where the car’s performance declined as the event progressed. He stressed that this issue is separate from tyre wear.

Red Bull has not detailed a specific component

Verstappen said solving these kinds of problems is “a big priority” for the team. Red Bull has not detailed a specific component or system behind the degradation described in Hungary, leaving open how broadly the phenomenon affects different circuits and conditions.

Time loss to rivals has reduced since early rounds Even with the instability and understeer still present, Red Bull has cut its deficit to competitors compared with the start of the year. Figures from Paceteq indicate that a gap of more than 1.3 seconds per lap in Australia and China was reduced to around two-tenths per lap by the Belgian and Hungarian Grand Prix weekends.

The team’s remaining-season task is now framed as converting that improved baseline into a reliable, predictable car across full race weekends. Red Bull has indicated the aim is not only outright speed but also consistency, so that performance does not erode between sessions or as conditions change.

How quickly the RB22’s corner-entry instability, mid-corner understeer, and the Hungary-style degradation can be addressed remains uncertain. Red Bull’s ability to turn a narrowed lap-time gap into championship-level contention will depend on whether these recurring traits can be removed rather than simply managed.