Formula 1 saw Max Verstappen experience another complicated weekend at the 2026 Chinese GP, and Red Bull’s difficulties may be linked to the team’s new in-house engine. According to former strategist Bernie Collins, the internally developed power unit aggravated a long-standing problem for the four-time champion with gear shifts.
Read more F1: Villeneuve sees Hamilton “almost unbeatable” at Ferrari in 2026
The Dutchman even classified his RB22 as “uncontrollable” during the Sprint in Shanghai, where he finished only in ninth position, outside the points zone. Later, he faced further difficulties in qualifying for the main race, starting only eighth on the grid, even behind Pierre Gasly’s Alpine.
Verstappen’s problems didn’t just start in the qualifying session. In the Sprint, the driver dropped to 20th position right at the start, in a weekend that had already been marked by significant setup changes to the car. Even with more aggressive changes before qualifying, Red Bull was unable to find a clear improvement in the RB22’s behavior.
Among the driver’s complaints, one reappeared strongly in China: the way the car behaves during gear shifts. For Collins, this is a problem that has followed Verstappen for some time, but it gained an even greater dimension with the new Red Bull Powertrains power unit in partnership with Ford.
“Verstappen has been complaining about the gear shifts in this Red Bull for a few years,” Collins told Sky Sports F1. She recalled that, throughout last season, the driver was already showing discomfort in both downshifts and upshifts, something that unbalanced the car.
In the former strategist’s assessment, the problem did not originate with the current engine, but the effects became stronger in 2026. “It’s not something new with this engine, but it’s worse with this engine, and I think the effect on the car’s balance is also worse,” she explained. According to Collins, this does not necessarily mean that the origin lies in the gearbox itself.
Read more F1 today? Check the schedule and where to watch the 2026 Chinese GP
Jacques Villeneuve’s analysis goes in the same direction, pointing out that Verstappen can no longer drive the car the way he would like. For the 1997 world champion, the RB22’s behavior has become unpredictable, and this causes the driver to react to the car instead of controlling it.
“The car is unpredictable. Even last year, when it was slow, there was still some kind of balance,” said Villeneuve. According to him, at that stage Verstappen could still feel the car and work on the setup, extracting small gains throughout the weekend.
Now, however, the scenario seems different. The Canadian highlighted that the car does not repeat the same behavior in corners and even shows unexpected rear movements, which makes it difficult to understand if the main problem is understeer or oversteer. This, in his view, directly hinders the development and setup of the car.
“When that happens, you can’t set up the car and you end up losing a tenth here, another there,” Villeneuve stated. For Verstappen, the challenge becomes even greater at a time when Red Bull is trying to understand the real potential of its new technical package in Formula 1.
