Red Bull handed internally 'struggling' claim as Max Verstappen frustration continues

Nico Rosberg has claimed that he has heard internally that Red Bull is still "struggling" since the departure of Adrian Newey, with Max Verstappen becoming frustrated with the team's current performance.

The four-time world champion had to settle for a lonely fourth in the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix, with Red Bull unable to challenge Mercedes, Ferrari, and McLaren.

Verstappen accepted after the grand prix that the Austrian outfit is fourth in the pecking order, something that will not change unless it introduces new upgrades.

Ferrari has been the team to beat in terms of the volume of upgrades already introduced in 2026, with multiple significant packages already added to the SF-26.

While Verstappen has managed to wrestle the RB22 into strong starting positions in recent races, come race day, Red Bull are unable to compete at the front.

"They don't seem to have a car capable of fighting, chassis-wise, because we all know now they have the best engine," 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve told Sky F1. 

"When you see Max not being in a fight, it's because he's already on the edge with the car."

Newey exit recovery still ongoing

While Red Bull is believed to have been judged by the FIA as having the best internal combustion engine, several reliability issues have still been encountered.

Rosberg is convinced that, as an entire power unit package, Red Bull is down on power compared to its rivals, meaning that not receiving any Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities (ADUO) will come as a huge blow.

According to the 2016 world champion, he has heard that the Milton Keynes-based outfit is yet to truly recover from the departure of Newey, particularly when it comes to the rate at which it is developing upgrades.

"We have to be careful here, because it's the internal combustion engine that they have the best, but that does not mean they have the most average power throughout the whole lap, and they are very likely down in terms of power where it matters," Rosberg added.

"They've still done a great job with that engine to start the season like this, because they've built it from scratch. That's still very, very impressive. And I think, yeah, they're a bit lost.

"I've also heard internally that it really was a significant step change once Adrian Newey left, because Adrian was so deep in the details, even at the race track during the race weekend on vehicle dynamics and everything. And suddenly he's gone, and they're still struggling to find their groove again, to find their way back to greatness.

"Even the development rate this year — the others are developing faster. It seems like they're struggling to keep up. So yeah, not a great situation for them at the moment."