Red Bull ended the first half of the 2026 Formula 1 season still without securing a victory. After 11 rounds, the Milton Keynes team reduced the gap to the championship leaders and showed improvement in recent races. At the Hungarian GP, Max Verstappen crossed the finish line ahead of the two Mercedes drivers, who lead the championship.
Read more F1: Ex-driver praises Hamilton’s quality as champion
Even with the gradual improvement in performance, the team continues to face criticism. A harsh analysis was made by Rob Smedley, former Ferrari mechanic, who assessed that Red Bull’s performance is well below expectations this season, precisely in the year when the team also faces the reality of acting as a power unit supplier.
During a participation in the High Performance podcast, the British engineer stated that Red Bull still needs to solve failures he classified as basic. According to Smedley, the difficulties faced by the team reflect a scenario that had already been pointed out by Max Verstappen throughout the season: “Red Bull should simply be doing much better,” he said. “Like, they had many basic problems, as Max says, there is a different problem every weekend or something like that,” Smedley stated.
Read more F1: McLaren reveals new plan to gain performance with Mercedes engine
In the assessment of the former Ferrari member, the recurring problems highlight a start to the championship below expectations for the Austrian team. Throughout the season, Verstappen had also suggested that Red Bull faces different difficulties every weekend, a scenario highlighted by Smedley during the interview.
Read more F1: Piastri defends use of simulator against Hamilton
