Red Bull’s 2026 season has been a major struggle, with Max Verstappen yet to take a single grand prix victory throughout the campaign.
The four-time world champion has found himself battling midfield drivers rather than the title contenders he was used to fighting in previous seasons.
Verstappen has regularly found himself scrapping with the likes of Pierre Gasly and Oliver Bearman, rather than trading blows with Ferrari or Mercedes drivers at the front.
Red Bull currently sit fourth in the constructors’ championship, a dramatic fall from the dominant heights the team scaled in recent years.
Despite the difficult season, Verstappen has retained his sense of humour, making a light-hearted suggestion about where upgrade funding could come from under the sport’s budget cap.
Speaking to media following Austrian Grand Prix qualifying, Verstappen joked: “Is that possible with the budget cap? Yes, of course. Then we’ll just have to spend a little less on catering!”
The budget cap in Formula 1 covers a wide range of operational costs, meaning teams must make careful decisions about where to allocate resources throughout the season.
Red Bull did bring upgrades to the Austrian Grand Prix weekend, though the results did not quite match what the team would have hoped for from the development package.
One positive for Verstappen is that the FIA’s recent ADUO ruling confirmed he is driving the car with the best power unit on the grid, which offers some encouragement for the months ahead.
However, questions over Verstappen’s long-term future at the Milton Keynes-based outfit continue to grow, with reports confirming he holds exit clauses in his contract tied to performance metrics.
Verstappen’s manager has confirmed those clauses exist, meaning Red Bull could lose their star driver if the team fails to demonstrate sufficient improvement going forward.
Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies faces an enormous challenge to convince Verstappen that the team can return to championship-contending form in time to retain his services beyond 2026.