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Red Bull F1 team grapples with RB22 car balance woes in Japanese GP practice at Suzuka, Verstappen sliding on track.
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Red Bull struggles with car balance in Japanese GP practice

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Red Bull's Formula 1 team encountered significant balance issues during Friday practice at the Japanese Grand Prix, leaving drivers Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar well off the pace. Team principal Laurent Mekies described the squad as 'very far' from the frontrunners, citing fundamental problems with the RB22 car. Verstappen warned there is 'no easy fix' for the woes.

Former Formula 1 driver Jolyon Palmer believes discussions between Max Verstappen and Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff are inevitable amid Red Bull's early-season struggles. Palmer shared this view on the F1 Nation podcast, citing Mercedes' strong start to the 2026 season.

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The cancellation of Bahrain and Jeddah grands prix due to the Iran war has created a five-week gap between Suzuka and Miami rounds. Red Bull views the break as a mixed bag, offering upgrade time but hindering engine development. Aston Martin sees both positives and negatives amid its power unit issues.

Isack Hadjar has described Red Bull's performance during the first 2026 pre-season test in Bahrain as better than expected. The French driver highlighted the team's new power unit as reliable and powerful. He completed 87 laps on the second day despite an early issue with the car.

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Charles Leclerc has assessed Ferrari's standing after the first 2026 pre-season test in Bahrain, placing Red Bull and Mercedes slightly ahead of his team and McLaren. The new chassis and power unit regulations have made the competitive order difficult to gauge amid varied testing conditions. Mercedes recorded the fastest overall time across the three days.

Former Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has indicated a desire to return to Formula 1, stating he has unfinished business in the sport. Speaking at the European Motor Show in Dublin, he emphasized he would only rejoin for a competitive project with an equity stake. Rumors link him particularly to a potential shareholding in Alpine.

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Former Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has broken his silence, expressing a desire to return to Formula 1 with 'unfinished business' after his 2025 departure. Speaking at the European Motor Show in Dublin, the 52-year-old emphasized he would only rejoin a winning team as a partner, not an employee. Speculation links him to Alpine and other outfits ahead of the 2026 season.

 

 

 

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