Red Bull Racing has set its main goal for the second half of the 2026 Formula 1 season to have a car capable of winning races again. The team’s technical director, Pierre Waché, stated that the team will continue developing the RB22 until the end of the year, despite the difficulties faced so far.
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The car has presented a series of problems since the start of the season, including a narrow operating window, chronic balance difficulties, excess weight, and reliability failures in the power unit. These issues contributed to retirements of Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar, while a hidden defect in the steering also impaired the drivers’ front-end feel in the early stages.
Even after fixing these problems, Red Bull remained behind Mercedes, Ferrari, and McLaren in overall performance. After eleven rounds, the team has yet to win a race, while Verstappen risks finishing a season without wins for the first time since his debut year in 2015.
Asked about the number of updates that can still be introduced and the possibility of Verstappen winning again in 2026, Waché made it clear that this remains the goal: “It’s hard to say. Going for wins this year is what we aim for. We are trying to improve the car. Clearly, we have a development plan until the end of the year,” said the Frenchman.
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Waché explained that the team intends to use the rest of the season to better understand the regulations and extract more performance from the RB22: “Everything we can do to improve the car, learn how this regulation works, and understand how development can affect the car’s characteristics and pace, we are trying to do,” he added.
The technical director acknowledged, however, that there are limitations imposed by the rules that restrict some development possibilities. Still, Red Bull does not intend to abandon the pursuit of a win in 2026: “Everything we can do to make the car capable of winning, whether with Max or Isack, we are doing,” Waché concluded.
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