2026 Oracle Red Bull Racing F1 Team

[AR3-GP]

[avantman]

Wow feels like a victory, what a overtake by Max and the whole drive was amazing... A lot of joy today, there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Feels like P2 to me.. which is not much different feeling to finishing P3, P4 or P5. P6 and lower definitely feels worse.

[avantman]

Atleast the macarena wing didn't fail today. I think he would have quit RBR on the spot.

Days like today if anything should reinforce his desire to find an exit, if there’s any. What did the team do for him today? Stopped a lap after Hamilton, when even Krafitz could know he did an undercut already or left him make a 30 laps stint on a used soft?

[lio007]

This windtunnel was commissioned in 2022. It's shocking that it takes 4 years to complete.

No, they started with demolition of the Trek building in April 2024, so we are now at about 2.5 years

[avantman]

Absolutely pathetic attempt from Davidson to downplay this incredible move. He said it was only because of Lewis empty battery and t speed differential. What a sad little man he really is. It’s so sad they god rid of Paul di Resta who was the only proper and truly unbiased expert on Sky.

[PierreW]

Atleast the macarena wing didn't fail today. I think he would have quit RBR on the spot.

Days like today if anything should reinforce his desire to find an exit, if there’s any. What did the team do for him today? Stopped a lap after Hamilton, when even Krafitz could know he did an undercut already or left him make a 30 laps stint on a used soft?

You should stop being negative all the time.

Good race by Max, a second place helped by the failure of Piastri car, but the podium was won on merit from the start line with Max dominating Hamilton on the track and resisting the Ferrari.

That's a positive race and outcome. Even if the car, despite the upgrades, is not good enough to win a race and is very flawed in its development, it's important to get better results like that to maintain the motivation of the whole team.

[Badger]

Max is Max but the car is still unconvincing. It has too many issues. Lacking mechanical stability, they're always chasing balance and wearing the tyres. Lacking driveability, always problems with shifts and traction. Lacking efficiency, with this ICE they should be competing with Merc on the straights but in Spa they got blown out. It feels solidly 4th best on average still, despite the top cars converging to within 0,5s.

[avantman]

Atleast the macarena wing didn't fail today. I think he would have quit RBR on the spot.

Days like today if anything should reinforce his desire to find an exit, if there’s any. What did the team do for him today? Stopped a lap after Hamilton, when even Krafitz could know he did an undercut already or left him make a 30 laps stint on a used soft?

You should stop being negative all the time.

Good race by Max, a second place helped by the failure of Piastri car, but the podium was won on merit from the start line with Max dominating Hamilton on the track and resisting the Ferrari.

That's a positive race and outcome. Even if the car, despite the upgrades, is not good enough to win a race and is very flawed in its development, it's important to get better results like that to maintain the motivation of the whole team.

The best driver deserves to be in the best car. Max hasn’t had the best car for three straight years, and if anything, the competitiveness of his car has only declined over that period.

I’m being realistic, not negative. I’m not letting Red Bull’s late-2025 results fool me. They were the only front-running team that kept developing their car throughout the second half of 2025, while McLaren had largely switched their focus to 2026. Even then, they still couldn’t match McLaren’s pace. That was more than evident in Brazil, Mexico and Qatar.

The fact that Red Bull have only the fourth-fastest car this year comes as no surprise to anyone looking at the situation objectively. There’s absolutely no reason to believe this team is capable of producing a title-winning car anytime soon. It would be naive to think Max doesn’t realise that and isn’t exploring his options.

Can you imagine what he could do in a Ferrari, a McLaren or, especially, this year’s dominant Mercedes? He’s literally wasting the prime years of his career.

I’m just being realistic.

[PierreW]

Days like today if anything should reinforce his desire to find an exit, if there’s any. What did the team do for him today? Stopped a lap after Hamilton, when even Krafitz could know he did an undercut already or left him make a 30 laps stint on a used soft?

You should stop being negative all the time.

Good race by Max, a second place helped by the failure of Piastri car, but the podium was won on merit from the start line with Max dominating Hamilton on the track and resisting the Ferrari.

That's a positive race and outcome. Even if the car, despite the upgrades, is not good enough to win a race and is very flawed in its development, it's important to get better results like that to maintain the motivation of the whole team.

The best driver deserves to be in the best car. Max hasn’t had the best car for three straight years, and if anything, the competitiveness of his car has only declined over that period.

I’m being realistic, not negative. I’m not letting Red Bull’s late-2025 results fool me. They were the only front-running team that kept developing their car throughout the second half of 2025, while McLaren had largely switched their focus to 2026. Even then, they still couldn’t match McLaren’s pace. That was more than evident in Brazil, Mexico and Qatar.

The fact that Red Bull have only the fourth-fastest car this year comes as no surprise to anyone looking at the situation objectively. There’s absolutely no reason to believe this team is capable of producing a title-winning car anytime soon. It would be naive to think Max doesn’t realise that and isn’t exploring his options.

Can you imagine what he could do in a Ferrari, a McLaren or, especially, this year’s dominant Mercedes? He’s literally wasting the prime years of his career.

I’m just being realistic.

Max is 4 times world champion with Red Bull. And he finished close to accomplish the greatest come back last season. He has not wasted his prime, he has accomplished everything already. Leclerc is wasting his prime.

This year the team failed to nail the new regulations. It's sad, but it happenned. The whole brand new PU was a gamble and they delivered what is probably the second best engine. It's an accomplishment that should not be downplayed.

They are too far to be in play for this season. The question is now, how will they be able to catch up for next season and how much Max should believe the team is in capacity to improve next year car.

Max and Red Bull has been a wining formula for so long. This year Max is also carrying RB and that's important. We are in an engineer sport more than a driver sport. The best driver does not always have the best car. Max won two championship with the second best car. RB needs to close the gap, and they will only do it if they believe they can succeed. That's why these podiums matter.

[gearboxtrouble]

Atleast the macarena wing didn't fail today. I think he would have quit RBR on the spot.

Days like today if anything should reinforce his desire to find an exit, if there’s any. What did the team do for him today? Stopped a lap after Hamilton, when even Krafitz could know he did an undercut already or left him make a 30 laps stint on a used soft?

This is not a logical take. Anyone thinking it was at all realistic for a new engine manufacturer to push for the title in their first year was tripping. This is already the best new engine manufacturer debut in modern F1 history and its only half a season. The car is joint 2nd best along with Ferrari and McLaren. It's track dependent on who can challenge Mercedes but they're there in the lead pack. Could they have done better on ride control and suspension design? Probably but all in all its gone about as well as could have realistically expected.

Where would Max even go? McLaren is the only team I'd call an upgrade but they have two strong drivers locked up for 27. Mercedes is Kimi's team but a lot of their start has been predicated on going all in on better understanding the 26 regs and engine - The ATR and budget cap will probably lead to them being caught by everyone in 2027 at the latest. Ferrari have done nothing in 20 years and are already showing signs of being out developed by Red Bull and McLaren this season. Aston Martin ... ROFL what a joke! The only realistic option for Max that isn't Red Bull is retirement.

[Juzh]

I re-watched hamilton overtake from Max's onboard and hamilton dirty move was worse than I initially believed. Glad he didn't manage to ruin Max as he did in 2024. Moving under braking was basically the same but this time hamilton missed his left rear tyre. Good.

[PierreW]

Atleast the macarena wing didn't fail today. I think he would have quit RBR on the spot.

Days like today if anything should reinforce his desire to find an exit, if there’s any. What did the team do for him today? Stopped a lap after Hamilton, when even Krafitz could know he did an undercut already or left him make a 30 laps stint on a used soft?

This is not a logical take. Anyone thinking it was at all realistic for a new engine manufacturer to push for the title in their first year was tripping. This is already the best new engine manufacturer debut in modern F1 history and its only half a season. The car is joint 2nd best along with Ferrari and McLaren. It's track dependent on who can challenge Mercedes but they're there in the lead pack. Could they have done better on ride control and suspension design? Probably but all in all its gone about as well as could have realistically expected.

Where would Max even go? McLaren is the only team I'd call an upgrade but they have two strong drivers locked up for 27. Mercedes is Kimi's team but a lot of their start has been predicated on going all in on better understanding the 26 regs and engine - The ATR and budget cap will probably lead to them being caught by everyone in 2027 at the latest. Ferrari have done nothing in 20 years and are already showing signs of being out developed by Red Bull and McLaren this season. Aston Martin ... ROFL what a joke! The only realistic option for Max that isn't Red Bull is retirement.

Max would be an upgrade for both McLaren and Mercedes over Piastri and Russell, especially as these two drivers aren't happy with their own team.

Believing that Max has no options is a bit ridiculous.

[gearboxtrouble]

Days like today if anything should reinforce his desire to find an exit, if there’s any. What did the team do for him today? Stopped a lap after Hamilton, when even Krafitz could know he did an undercut already or left him make a 30 laps stint on a used soft?

This is not a logical take. Anyone thinking it was at all realistic for a new engine manufacturer to push for the title in their first year was tripping. This is already the best new engine manufacturer debut in modern F1 history and its only half a season. The car is joint 2nd best along with Ferrari and McLaren. It's track dependent on who can challenge Mercedes but they're there in the lead pack. Could they have done better on ride control and suspension design? Probably but all in all its gone about as well as could have realistically expected.

Where would Max even go? McLaren is the only team I'd call an upgrade but they have two strong drivers locked up for 27. Mercedes is Kimi's team but a lot of their start has been predicated on going all in on better understanding the 26 regs and engine - The ATR and budget cap will probably lead to them being caught by everyone in 2027 at the latest. Ferrari have done nothing in 20 years and are already showing signs of being out developed by Red Bull and McLaren this season. Aston Martin ... ROFL what a joke! The only realistic option for Max that isn't Red Bull is retirement.

Max would be an upgrade for both McLaren and Mercedes over Piastri and Russell, especially as these two drivers aren't happy with their own team.

Believing that Max has no options is a bit ridiculous.

Yes he would be an upgrade but those teams aren't going to ditch what has been a harmonious driver pairing for the Max Verstappen circus and all the expectations that would place on them for how the treat the other driver. Mercedes is Kimi's team and they would be insane to put someone like Max in the other seat. If he'd asked last season they would have done it before he even hung up the phone but with Kimi's growth this season they're not likely to do it. McLaren is more possible but Oscar was a title contender most of last season and they're not about to roll the dice on replacing him with a driver who's been very vocal about how much he hates these rules and could retire if they're unable to give him an immediate title contender.

[PierreW]

This is not a logical take. Anyone thinking it was at all realistic for a new engine manufacturer to push for the title in their first year was tripping. This is already the best new engine manufacturer debut in modern F1 history and its only half a season. The car is joint 2nd best along with Ferrari and McLaren. It's track dependent on who can challenge Mercedes but they're there in the lead pack. Could they have done better on ride control and suspension design? Probably but all in all its gone about as well as could have realistically expected.

Where would Max even go? McLaren is the only team I'd call an upgrade but they have two strong drivers locked up for 27. Mercedes is Kimi's team but a lot of their start has been predicated on going all in on better understanding the 26 regs and engine - The ATR and budget cap will probably lead to them being caught by everyone in 2027 at the latest. Ferrari have done nothing in 20 years and are already showing signs of being out developed by Red Bull and McLaren this season. Aston Martin ... ROFL what a joke! The only realistic option for Max that isn't Red Bull is retirement.

Max would be an upgrade for both McLaren and Mercedes over Piastri and Russell, especially as these two drivers aren't happy with their own team.

Believing that Max has no options is a bit ridiculous.

Yes he would be an upgrade but those teams aren't going to ditch what has been a harmonious driver pairing for the Max Verstappen circus and all the expectations that would place on them for how the treat the other driver. Mercedes is Kimi's team and they would be insane to put someone like Max in the other seat. If he'd asked last season they would have done it before he even hung up the phone but with Kimi's growth this season they're not likely to do it. McLaren is more possible but Oscar was a title contender most of last season and they're not about to roll the dice on replacing him with a driver who's been very vocal about how much he hates these rules and could retire if they're unable to give him an immediate title contender.

Harmonious? Russell looking like he is washed and Piastri completely crumbling under pressure last season and almost costing his team the title and now behind Max in the championship.

What you call a circus, it the biggest fanbase in F1 and a instant boost from sponsor and viewership for your team. Why did Ferrari sign Hamilton?

Also he is the fastest driver. Antonelli is dominating the field but with by far the best car. What happen when Mercedes lose their edge? They may want the fastest driver again.

Honestly I could see a Russell-Verstappen swap or even a Piastri-Verstappen swap. I hope not but that does not sound impossible to me.

[AR3-GP]

Racing bulls has the exact same wheels, wheels nuts, hubs, and wheel guns as Red Bull.