How Red Bull’s 2026 season has played out so far

(opens in a new tab)Sign InSubscribeF1ScheduleResultsStandingsDriversTeamsF1 UnlockedOpen menuFIA if(window.f1MobileDetection.iOSSafari) { var meta = document.createElement("meta"); meta.name = "apple-itunes-app"; meta.content = "app-id=835022598, app-argument=https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/half-term-report-red-bulls-best-and-worst-moments-from-2026-so-far-and-driver-head-to-heads.4dgRezawb01d6p6NKE4T8w.4dgRezawb01d6p6NKE4T8w"; document.head.appendChild(meta); } {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/half-term-report-red-bulls-best-and-worst-moments-from-2026-so-far-and-driver-head-to-heads.4dgRezawb01d6p6NKE4T8w","url":"https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/half-term-report-red-bulls-best-and-worst-moments-from-2026-so-far-and-driver-head-to-heads.4dgRezawb01d6p6NKE4T8w","mainEntityOfPage":"https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/half-term-report-red-bulls-best-and-worst-moments-from-2026-so-far-and-driver-head-to-heads.4dgRezawb01d6p6NKE4T8w","datePublished":"2026-08-16T07:05:46.220Z","dateModified":"2026-08-16T07:05:46.220Z","headline":"HALF TERM REPORT: Red Bull’s best and worst moments from 2026 so far and driver head-to-heads","author":"F1","description":"With Red Bull currently sitting fourth in the Constructors’ Championship, we dissect their season so far in their half term report. \n","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://media.formula1.com/image/upload/f_auto/q_auto/v1786723207/fom-website/2026/Red%20Bull/TEAM%20PREVIEWSHALF%20TERM%20REPORTS%20V1%20(34).png"},"isAccessibleForFree":"true","publisher":{"@type":"SportsOrganization","@id":"https://www.formula1.com#organization","name":"Formula 1","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://www.formula1.com/etc/designs/fom-website/social/f1-default-share.jpg","width":"480","height":"120"}}}Half Term Reports 2026Max VerstappenIsack HadjarShow more tagsHALF TERM REPORT: Red Bull’s best and worst moments from 2026 so far and driver head-to-headsWith Red Bull currently sitting fourth in the Constructors’ Championship, we dissect their season so far in their half term report. The new-for-2026 regulations were inevitably going to shake up the pecking order and, so far, it’s looked like Red Bull have been the primary victim given they were challenging for the 2025 drivers' title right until the end. Their season has had its fair share of reliability and balance concerns, as well as speculation surrounding Max Verstappen’s future at the team, but a handful of weekends have offered a glimpse of hope for the remaining rounds. Let’s dive into their half term report… Verstappen – 2nd in Austria and Hungary It’s indisputable that Verstappen grew accustomed to standing on the top step of the podium over the first half of this decade, during which time he went on a mighty run of four Drivers’ Championships with the support of a formidable Red Bull. But this year has seen a shift in the Dutchman’s fortunes – instead of contesting for wins every week, he had to patiently wait until the fifth round to even make it onto the rostrum. Compared to a significant chunk of his F1 career, podiums have become somewhat of a rarity as opposed to a guarantee. As we’ve come to expect, Verstappen will always fight to extract the most from whichever car he’s in and has subsequently placed in the top three four times so far, with his highest finish being a pair of P2s in Austria and Hungary. The former also offered his best opportunity yet for a victory, but he settled for crossing the line behind the triumphant George Russell. The way in which Red Bull have churned through second drivers over the years suggests that few on the current grid are more daunting a team mate than Verstappen, and while he has outperformed the latest incumbent in Isack Hadjar, the Frenchman is currently doing a better job than some may have predicted. The Dutchman leads 8-3 in both Qualifying and race trim, but Red Bull’s struggles have seen him go without a pole position thus far. Following some challenging Qualifying sessions (such as a crash in Australia and Q2 exit in Japan), he secured front row starts in Miami, Monaco and Belgium. Meanwhile, Hadjar impressed from the outset by qualifying third at the season opener – a feat he has struggled to match since. P5 grid slots in the Principality and Great Britain represent his next best efforts, and he also beat Verstappen over one lap at the latter. Race head-to-head Verstappen 8-3 Hadjar Verstappen’s outstanding record against team mates continues in Grands Prix, with the three times Hadjar has prevailed coinciding with the Dutchman’s retirements in China (caused by an ERS issue), Monaco (where he failed to get off the line at lights out), and Great Britain (the result of a rear wing fault – more on that later). With the exception of DNFs – Hadjar suffered two of his own in Australia and Miami – both have pretty consistently been in the points. Verstappen’s podiums have boosted his current total to 109 points, earning him sixth in the standings, while Hadjar sits in eighth with 68 from 11 rounds. Red Bull may not have added to their tally of 130 Grand Prix victories, but Verstappen ensured they had something to celebrate at their home event in Austria, held at the eponymous Red Bull Ring. The grandstands were filled with orange-clad fans, providing the perfect backdrop for the Dutchman to bounce back from a crash in Qualifying and dispatch Kimi Antonelli, Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton in the early stages of the race, thereby progressing from P5 to P2. He even came agonisingly close to challenging Russell before the team’s strategy left him with too much work to do, and he eventually finished just 1.611s behind the Mercedes driver. The “extremely positive” result was an obvious sign of the impact of Red Bull’s development and gradual upgrades, and crucially showed Verstappen that they should be able to return to winning ways sooner rather than later. Worst moment If there’s one component that’s caused the Milton Keynes-based outfit their biggest headache, it’s the rotating rear wing. Following on from Ferrari’s successful ‘Macarena’ wing, they developed their own version as one way to narrow the gap to their competitors. Its first failure occurred during the final moments of Qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix, when Verstappen lost control of his RB22 on a flying lap and was flung across the gravel into the barriers. A similar incident saw him spin out of the British Grand Prix and miss out on a potential podium, so the way the rear wing closed was eventually under the microscope. After thorough review, Red Bull decided to revert to a previous design in Belgium and test the updated one with the aim of bringing it back later in the season. Naturally, Red Bull’s most pressing priority will be to ensure that Verstappen intends to fulfil his current deal that stretches to the end of 2028. A number of key personnel – like Adrian Newey, Helmut Marko and Gianpiero Lambiase – have already left or are set to depart the squad, but the loss of Verstappen would be a notable blow. They can work to avoid that by proving they’re making steps towards fixing the issues that have blighted their season, including balance problems, inconsistency from track to track, and downshifts (something Verstappen is notorious for complaining about). While Mercedes might be a bit too far ahead, quick improvements that noticeably reduce their deficit to other teams like McLaren and Ferrari would go a long way in compensating for their slow start. Team Principal Laurent Mekies has previously made it clear that they’re in a rebuilding phase. That takes time, which is one thing that isn’t necessarily on their side. The good news is that on paper, Red Bull have all the puzzle pieces they need – a supremely talented number one, a promising sophomore driver, an experienced team boss, and a flourishing power unit partnership with Ford – but they’ve only got 12 rounds left to put them all together this season. Download the Official F1 AppYour ultimate companion into
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