Red Bull denied Verstappen his last chance at a win in 2026

Max Verstappen was furious after qualifying in Baku. For the umpteenth time in 2026, something on his car failed at a decisive moment. This time, it was the engine, which delivered far less power during qualifying, while the battery was also only half-charged for his crucial Q3 run.

It was not the first time this season that Verstappen had been hit by a technical problem. From qualifying in Monaco and a lack of power at Silverstone to the rear wing that repeatedly refused to close, something always seems to go wrong with the RB22. For that reason alone, Verstappen’s frustration is easy to understand.

This time, however, Verstappen was even more annoyed because there was a serious chance of victory in Azerbaijan. Red Bull looked strong in every session, the updates seemed to work well, and for once Verstappen was happy with the balance. Until everything went wrong in qualifying.

After the race, Verstappen said that even from a better starting position, it would have been difficult to pass George Russell. That may be true, but it would have significantly increased his chances of victory. With a fully functioning engine on Saturday, Verstappen could have started as high as P2.

Starting from P2 would have meant far fewer overtakes in the opening phase and an immediate opportunity to put pressure on Russell. Could the Mercedes driver have withstood that pressure for an entire race? There would also have been more strategic possibilities.

With Verstappen directly behind Russell, the Mercedes pit wall would have had to avoid making the wrong call or risk the roles being reversed. The opposite of Verstappen’s point is also true. Had he found a way past Russell, it would have been extremely difficult for the Mercedes driver to regain the position, given Verstappen's straight-line speed was unmatched.

And so yet another Red Bull problem cost Verstappen a very big chance at victory—perhaps the last one this season. In Malaysia, Mercedes will bring the long-awaited update package, and from then on Verstappen expects to have no more chances to win. Especially since Red Bull brought its final update of the season to Baku.

Red Bull has certainly made strides in 2026, and Verstappen may even be on course for third place in the championship. Still, it’s not enough. Mercedes is still too fast on most circuits, and above all, the overall reliability of the car is a huge Achilles’ heel for Red Bull. That must be resolved in 2027 if they want to race for wins and titles again.