Verstappen frustrated by mechanical issues in Austria: 'That just cost time'

Verstappen drove his best race of the season in Austria and ultimately finished second. After the race, the four-time world champion said he had been dealing with some issues with his RB22. In a conversation with Viaplay, he went into more detail about these problems.

"I had brake issues the entire race and, for half the race, problems with the rear of the car. At a certain point, it just stopped complying. That just costs time," said the Red Bull Racing driver.

Did he feel a stronger result was possible without the issues? "Maybe, yes. It definitely didn’t feel good anymore," Verstappen stated.

The Dutchman admitted that driving 71 laps with problems was very tough. "You don’t have traction anymore. It bounces a lot. You simply can’t go over the kerbs properly, and it just doesn’t rebound," said the Dutchman.

Despite these problems, Verstappen still delivered his best result of the season, finishing in second place.

In Canada, the Red Bull Racing driver claimed his first podium of the season, but he finished P3 behind Lewis Hamilton. Towards the end of the race, the four-time world champion was able to close in on Russell, who, just like in Barcelona, seemed to be out of tires. The race was just a bit too short for Verstappen to have a real shot at victory.

George Russell’s win marked his second of the 2026 campaign, underscoring Mercedes’ pace advantage over McLaren and Ferrari despite late pressure from Verstappen.

Red Bull brought seven upgrades to the RB22 and leveraged a tyre offset to close within 1.6 seconds at the flag, hinting at a tightening fight at the front.

Looking ahead to Silverstone, Russell said the car’s setup window remains erratic this season, even as he expects the high-speed layout to better suit his driving style. Read more