Red Bull Racing’s complicated start to the 2026 Formula 1 season caught the attention of Jenson Button, who gave direct advice to the team. For the former driver and 2009 F1 champion, the solution to the problems is clear: build a faster car.
Read more F1: Russell under pressure after Antonelli’s reaction at Mercedes
Despite a promising start in pre-season testing in Bahrain, the team’s performance was not confirmed in the races. The power unit, developed in partnership with Ford, initially drew attention, but the car’s overall package ended up showing difficulties in the early stages.
For the first time in its history, Red Bull started the year as a power unit manufacturer, through Red Bull Powertrains-Ford, but faced setbacks right at the start of the season. Reliability issues led both Isack Hadjar and Max Verstappen to retire from one race each, while chassis performance began to be pointed out as the main weakness.
After competing with McLaren for the position of third force at the Australian GP, the team had a difficult weekend at the Chinese GP. On that occasion, Red Bull finished behind Oliver Bearman’s Haas and Pierre Gasly’s Alpine, increasing internal concerns.
Asked about what the team needs to do to react, Button was direct: “Build a faster car. Basically that’s it,” he told Sky Sports F1. The Briton also highlighted that adaptation to the new regulations is still ongoing and that many updates should emerge throughout the year.
Read more F1: FIA highlights the importance of volunteers in the staging of the championship
“They are still understanding the regulations and adjusting the cars. We are going to see many updates this year, more than usual, but within the team there is always room to evolve. It’s understanding what you have, what tools are available and maximizing that,” he added.
Fellow former F1 driver Karun Chandhok, who was part of the same conversation, also pointed to the chassis as the main problem. According to him, the car’s balance does not seem ideal and this was evident especially in Shanghai, where the team suffered with aerodynamic performance.
Button also highlighted that the power unit has been a positive point: “You would say the power unit is more impressive. Starting from scratch and building something so competitive is remarkable. It probably worked better than the car,” the former British driver concluded.
Chandhok also highlighted the progress of Red Bull’s engine project, which started with a small structure a few years ago. Still, he believes the team needs to evolve the package as a whole, emphasizing that despite the progress, there is still significant work to be done to return to the front of the grid.
Read more F1: Kelly Piquet follows tennis championship in Monte Carlo
