Max Verstappen has been warned by Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies that the racing organisation does not expect to resolve its current competitiveness issues before the 2027 Formula One season, dealing a significant blow to the Dutch driver's hopes of challenging for the championship in 2026.
The revelation came in the aftermath of Verstappen's second-place finish at the Madrid round of the F1 calendar, a result that underscored both his individual brilliance and the persistent shortcomings of the RB team's car. Despite matching his usual racecraft under pressure, Verstappen was unable to convert strong qualifying and mid-race pace into victory, a familiar frustration for the four-time world champion this season.
Mekies addressed the issue candidly during post-race discussions with his drivers. He acknowledged the progress the team has made throughout the current campaign but stressed that the fundamental aerodynamic package and performance characteristics of the Red Bull car still lag behind the frontrunners. The principal made clear that the most significant upgrades are reserved for the 2027 regulatory cycle, which introduces sweeping technical changes that every team is essentially starting from scratch on.
Sources within the paddock indicate that Red Bull's wind-tunnel data and computational simulations suggest the car will remain challenged by ground-effect balance issues and rear-end stability across most circuits in 2026. While incremental improvements are expected through the season, they are not projected to be sufficient to overhaul the gap to Mercedes, Ferrari, and McLaren.
For Verstappen, who joined Red Bull in 2016 and has enjoyed dominant periods with the team, the news represents a stark reality check. His contract runs through the end of 2028, meaning he will see two more seasons under these circumstances unless a dramatic shift occurs. Teammates Liam Lawson and the development programme have also been part of internal discussions about the direction of the car, though no public changes to the driver lineup have been confirmed.
Mekies emphasised that the team remains fully committed to extracting every possible lap over the remainder of 2026 and that the focus will now pivot decisively toward the 2027 concept, which represents Red Bull's best opportunity to return to genuine championship contention.
