Verstappen wary of RB22 behaviour on bumps as Monaco weekend begins

Red Bull arrives in Monaco with cautious optimism but no illusions: the RB22 remains a car with clear limitations, and Max Verstappen made that point repeatedly when asked what he expects from the weekend.

The Dutchman, a four‑time World Champion and two‑time winner in the Principality, stressed that the team still does not fully understand how the car will behave on Monaco’s bumps and kerbs — a decisive factor around the tightest circuit on the calendar.

Red Bull’s first Formula 1 podium came in Monaco exactly 20 years ago, but Verstappen was quick to cool expectations of a repeat. When asked about the team’s chances, he immediately pointed to the unpredictable nature of the RB22 on low‑speed, uneven surfaces.

“Let’s see. I mean, I don’t know. It will depend on a lot of things. I don’t know how the car is going to feel , so… Monaco can always give you some surprises.”

He acknowledged that Red Bull has been reasonably competitive in low‑speed corners this season, but the specific demands of Monaco expose one of the RB22’s most persistent weaknesses.

“But realistically from my side, we’ve been OK in the low speed, but at the same time here you need to be good on the bumps and the kerbs, which is where we’re not that great. So, yeah, we’ll have to see how it will evolve throughout the weekend.”

The ride quality of the RB22 has been a recurring theme throughout 2026, and Verstappen did not shy away from the broader picture when asked where the car still needs to improve.

“I mean, you want to improve in every area. We want more grip, you want more power, you want better braking efficiency, you want the tyres to operate in a better window. So, in that sense, you want to be better everywhere.”

He then pointed to Montreal as a recent example of the car’s limitations: “But yeah, I think looking at Montreal, we’re definitely lacking on the straight.

"But also, yeah, in the corners, I think, yeah, the ride or in general on the bumps, we were not, let’s say, the best. And, of course, high-speed corners in other places. Now, of course, here there are no high-speed corners, but normally has not been our biggest strength yet.”

With the new‑generation 2026 cars making their first appearance in Monaco, Verstappen was asked whether this year’s machinery might be the best suited yet to the Principality.

“Maybe. I just think you will see a little bit better now with the wheels. It’s probably a little bit more agile in the low speed, but at the same time that comes together with driveability, which with these cars I feel like took a step back compared to last year’s car. So, we’ll see.”