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Red Bull Racing cuts 2026 development after Verstappen's performance concerns
Red Bull Racing announced it will slow the pace of car development for the second half of the 2026 Formula 1 season. Team principal Laurent Mekies said the aggressive upgrade programme that began at the start of the year and continued through the Hungarian Grand Prix – where Max Verstappen finished second behind Lando Norris – is no longer sustainable.
Verstappen, who is under contract with Red Bull until 2028, reiterated that he could leave the team but loves racing. He criticised the RB22 chassis for being difficult to set up and unpredictable, echoing the team's own dissatisfaction with the car’s performance at the Hungarian GP. The team also noted the departure of several senior engineers, including long‑time race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase, to rival teams.
Red Bull’s strategy now balances immediate performance gains with preparation for the 2027 regulation changes, aiming to close a three‑tenths gap to the front‑running cars while managing budget‑cap constraints.
Entities
Hungarian Grand Prix · Lando Norris · Laurent Mekies · Max Verstappen · RB22 · Red Bull Racing
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 3 SOURCES] The RB22 chassis has been criticised for handling and performance issues. www.motorsportweek.com · motorsport.nextgen-auto.com · f1i.autojournal.fr
- [● 3 SOURCES] Red Bull will slow its development pace for the second half of the 2026 season. sport-fm.com.cy · www.crash.net
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Laurent Mekies said Red Bull was not satisfied with its performance at the Hungarian Grand Prix. www.motorsportweek.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] Red Bull introduced a large amount of upgrades between Race 1 and the Hungarian Grand Prix. www.crash.net
- [● 2 SOURCES] Verstappen said he could easily stop racing but loves the sport. www.caranddriver.com · www.autosport.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] Long‑time race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase left Red Bull for McLaren. f1i.autojournal.fr · www.caranddriver.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] Max Verstappen's contract with Red Bull runs until 2028. www.caranddriver.com · www.autosport.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] Max Verstappen finished second to Lando Norris at the Hungarian Grand Prix. www.motorsportweek.com · motorsport.nextgen-auto.com