Max Verstappen has outlined Red Bull's most pressing issue heading into the summer break, revealing that the RB22's tendency to lose performance over a grand prix weekend is a "big priority" for the team to resolve.
The four-time F1 drivers' champion salvaged second place at the Hungarian Grand Prix last weekend despite a torrid qualifying session, but his frustration with Red Bull's competitiveness was laid bare in his post-race comments.
"We need to first find more overall performance," Verstappen told media, including RacingNews365. "Then we need to fix our problems, where we sometimes just lose performance over a weekend, or even from the start of the race to the end. So, yeah, that is also actually a big priority."
During qualifying at the Hungaroring, the Dutchman was perplexed by what he called "car degradation" rather than tyre degradation, insisting that "every lap that I did in qualifying just was worse and worse."
The issue culminated in a spin during Q3 that left him sixth on the grid, with Verstappen describing the rear of the car as "non-existent" when turning in.
That he recovered to finish second behind race winner Lando Norris was impressive, but the underlying frailty of the RB22 is clearly weighing on Verstappen as Red Bull sits fourth in the constructors' championship on 177 points, well adrift of Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren.
Verstappen also touched on the power unit question, specifically the ADUO system introduced under the 2026 regulations.
The FIA's Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities mechanism grants extra engine upgrades to manufacturers whose ICE performance falls below the benchmark.
Red Bull Powertrains has been deemed to be the benchmark by the FIA, meaning the team is ineligible for the catch-up concessions available to its rivals.
It is a peculiar position for a team struggling for outright pace, and Verstappen appeared to acknowledge as much.
"Then you mentioned the engine," the 71-time grand prix winner added, having been asked how he sees the current situation.
"Well, I would love to have some ADUO as well. Yeah, somehow. But that's, I don't know. We'll see. We'll have another look after the break."
Also interesting:
Join RacingNews365's Nick Golding and Samuel Coop as they look back on last weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix. Mercedes being comfortably beatable is a major talking point, as is whether Lando Norris has the capability of completing a title fight comeback.
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