Red Bull told Max Verstappen cannot make difference until major change

Former Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has warned the Austrian outfit that Max Verstappen cannot make a significant difference until the RB22 becomes a car he has confidence in.

It has been a troublesome start to the new power unit regulations for Red Bull, who, for the first time in its history, are producing all components in-house as a full factory operation.

The sole highlight of the Milton Keynes-based team’s start to the season has been Isack Hadjar qualifying third in Australia, with several setbacks having hurt the squad.

An issue with the car saw Verstappen crash out of qualifying in Australia, while Hadjar retired from the race with an engine failure.

A week later in China, it was the Dutchman’s turn to retire following an ERS coolant fault, before both drivers struggled for performance in Japan despite an initial upgrades package.

Becoming a manufacturer team has already proven extremely difficult for Red Bull; however, Marko is confident things will improve once F1 reaches the European races.

"The positive thing is that the start in Melbourne went quite well, with Isack Hadjar’s third place in qualifying," Marko told APA.

"But the updates, especially those in Japan, took the car in the wrong direction. It got worse.

"Over the course of the European season, it can be assumed that Red Bull can compete at the front again."

In the past, Verstappen has managed to score strong results despite a poor car, a recent example being the first half of last season.

That is yet to happen in 2026, with Marko putting it down to the four-time world champion needing confidence in the car.

"The Max factor is only there when he has a car in which he has confidence," said Marko. "That is not the case at the moment."