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Red Bull upgrades fuel doubts over Max Verstappen’s 2026 title opes

Originally posted on HITC | By Ashley Hambly | Last updated Oct 10, 2025 10:15 AM ET

Red Bull’s recent progress has fuelled speculation in the F1 paddock about their potential under the new 2026 regulations.

The team was the only one to introduce a fresh update at the Singapore Grand Prix, and it seemed to pay off as Max Verstappen took second place under the lights. However, Red Bull’s new development featured a reprofiled front wing, which increased the camber on some sections that enabled it to extract more load whilst maintaining flow stability.

The result still wasn’t what Verstappen or Red Bull were hoping for, especially as he looks to gain ground on McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri in this year’s title race.

“One of our main areas of focus has been on extracting more overall load from our package,” said Pierre Waché, Red Bull’s Technical Director. “And while we have made progress with that aim in mind, we also wanted to improve how our car operates over kerbs.”

That comes down to McLaren having slightly stronger car design than Red Bull in terms of engine performance. This is mainly due to Norris’ impressive season last year compared to Verstappen’s struggles with consistency and form.

Red Bull’s 2026 strategy raises questions about long-term goals

UOL have outlined two different theories making the rounds in the F1 paddock.

The first considers Red Bull’s early head start in development over McLaren, a result of last season’s standings and the FIA’s restrictions on wind tunnel time.

Photo by Kym Illman/Getty Images

The second is that Red Bull may already have accepted they won’t be competing for titles in 2026, and so they’re focusing more on making the most of this season while they still can.

For next year, Red Bull are working on their first completely in-house power unit, built by Red Bull Powertrains and developed alongside Ford.

A source close to the team has said that engine is likely to be behind its competitors when it debuts, giving engineers even more reason to take big swings with this year’s car.

Going by what’s being said around the paddock lately, next season might be Verstappen’s final one with Red Bull.

The signs were there earlier this year when he showed frustration with how things were going. If 2026 starts badly for them, it’ll only add pressure for him to look elsewhere before his deal ends.

Max Verstappen facing tough road back to title contention

Verstappen has firmly established himself among the top drivers of his generation, having already secured four world titles with Red Bull.

This season, Verstappen’s talent has been put to the test by a car that hasn’t quite matched the pace of previous Red Bull machines, forcing him into more direct battles with his title rivals.

One of Verstappen’s recent moves mirrors something Michael Schumacher did during his dominant spell at Ferrari, where he won five straight championships.

The Dutchman is following a similar path, aiming to create an environment where success can be built and sustained over several years.

Given how many in the paddock already rate him as the best driver on the grid, there’s every chance Verstappen could match Schumacher’s feat of five consecutive titles with one team.

This article first appeared on HITC and was syndicated with permission.

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