Max Verstappen conquered at the Canadian GP, the first podium for Red Bull Racing in the 2026 Formula 1 season, and revived hopes of the team’s recovery. After a difficult start to the championship, the result in Montreal began to fuel the expectation that the team can still achieve its first victory as a manufacturer of its own power unit.
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The season started off complicated for the Milton Keynes team and also for the four-time world champion. Verstappen spent the first stages far from the fight for the top positions and only managed to finish inside the top 5 for the first time at the Miami GP, held in early May.
At the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, the Dutchman took another step forward by climbing to the podium in P3, after an intense battle with Lewis Hamilton for second place. Even without being able to surpass the British driver, the result represented an important advance for Red Bull after months of difficulties.
The team is experiencing its first season in 2026 as a power unit manufacturer in partnership with Ford. Initial expectations were cautious, but the engine’s performance has ended up being one of the few positive points of the campaign so far.
The big problem for Red Bull has been the behavior of the RB22. The car presented several problems throughout the first races of the year, leaving Verstappen and his new teammate, Isack Hadjar, frequently fighting only for the intermediate positions in the points zone.
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However, the advances shown in Miami and confirmed in Canada increased confidence that the team can finally fight for wins still this season. Red Bull’s next goal is precisely to turn the recent improvement into a victory with its own power unit.
A recent survey conducted by RacingNews365 showed that almost 70% of participants believe the team will be able to reach this milestone before the end of this year. Still, the question remains as to when Red Bull will be able to convert its recovery into a win.
Despite growing optimism after the result in Montreal, the scenario still depends on the continued evolution of the RB22 in the upcoming stages of Formula 1. For now, Verstappen’s podium appears as the main sign of the team’s reaction in 2026.
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