Verstappen gets what he wants from Red Bull, but technical failure robs him of top result

For weeks, months, if not years, there has been talk about Max Verstappen’s future at Red Bull Racing. In that regard, the race weekend in Austria seems like a convergence of everything. Verstappen still hasn’t given his yes to Red Bull Racing for 2027, Red Bull’s update package in Spielberg, and the rumors of talks with McLaren. In Formula 1, that’s no coincidence.

Verstappen and manager Raymond Vermeulen made it clear once again this weekend: it is not certain that Verstappen will drive for Red Bull Racing in 2027. The Dutchman has a contract through 2028, but could leave this year due to a clause. If Verstappen is not in the top two in the championship going into the summer break, he is contractually allowed to leave Red Bull behind.

That doesn’t mean Verstappen will do so. Vermeulen emphasized once again that Verstappen is loyal to Red Bull, always has been, and that he would therefore also like to stay with the Austrian team. Laurent Mekies, team principal of Red Bull Racing, said the same: “Verstappen has indicated that he wants to continue with the team.”

However, there’s a big difference between wanting to stay and actually staying. That hinges on Red Bull Racing’s performance. The RB22 has been underwhelming this year. Not the Red Bull Powertrains-Ford, but the car itself isn’t meeting expectations. It falls to Pierre Waché and his team to shoulder the heavy task of showing Verstappen’s camp in a short time that they can truly fight at the front again. Only then will Verstappen want to remain.

That’s why the weekend at the Red Bull Ring is crucial. During its home race, Red Bull brought an extensive list of updates. According to Mekies, it’s not something you can often do during the year because of the budget cap. In fact, the Frenchman indicated this is likely Red Bull Racing’s last major update.

With three practice sessions in Spielberg, there was ample time to optimize the package. Of course, further optimization will continue in the coming race weekends, but the competition isn’t standing still either. They will also bring updates. With this final package, Red Bull therefore had to make a significant step. From a second at the start of the year, to half a second in recent races, to a few tenths in Austria. That was the goal.

During the final part of qualifying for the 2026 Austrian Grand Prix, Verstappen seemed to have found something extra in his RB22. In the first run, Verstappen was just 0.061s off Kimi Antonelli’s fastest time. In run two, Verstappen looked on course for a better time until he lost control of his car in the penultimate corner.

In Barcelona, Verstappen set a 1:15.021 in the final part of qualifying. That made him 0.342s slower than the fastest man, George Russell, who clocked a 1:14.678. In Austria, the gap between Verstappen and the fastest Mercedes after run 1 was 0.061s. The lap in Austria is shorter, but Red Bull’s step forward is clear.

With Red Bull’s updates, Verstappen hasn’t taken pole position yet; in fact, he ended qualifying in the wall. Still, the new car appears to be a clear step forward for the Dutchman, making it possible to fight for pole position at a circuit like the Red Bull Ring.

What will stick in Verstappen's mind, however, is that the crash was caused by a technical issue. This time, the rear wing remained stuck open, resulting in a loss of grip upon entering the corner. Alongside the less-than-ideal starts, these are the kind of teething troubles Red Bull needs to eliminate if it is to secure top results.