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Red Bull are now believed to be discussing scrapping the RB22 after just three races of the 2026 Formula 1 season.
The mood around the Milton Keynes-based squad is not good after the Japanese Grand Prix last weekend. Red Bull are sitting sixth in the constructors’ championship with just 16 points, currently behind Haas and Alpine, level on points with the latter.
2026 was bound to be a difficult year for the team as they become an engine manufacturer for the first time. F1 teams think Red Bull’s power unit is strong, but issues with the chassis and overall performance have led to internal doubts about the car.
How the championship looks after Japan
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Max Verstappen finished eighth at the Japanese GP after getting eliminated in Q2. Teammate Isack Hadjar finished outside the points in 12th, 56 seconds behind race winner Kimi Antonelli.
Red Bull do not have the package to catch Mercedes and Ferrari in front, with McLaren also making strong steps forward at Suzuka. There is plenty of time to make improvements, especially with a five-week break until the next race, but the team have lost faith.
Red Bull are discussing scrapping the RB22
According to journalist Ralf Bach, there are people at Red Bull who want to ‘scrap’ the 2026 car and build an entirely new package. They do not have confidence in the RB22 that it will be able to catch its rivals.
Talking about Verstappen’s weekend at Suzuka via F1-Insider, Bach said: “Well, there isn’t much positive to say about this weekend, apart from the fact that he started from 11th and finished eighth, without there having been any major retirements earlier on.
“That means he was able to improve his position. He seems to have got to grips with this aerodynamic package a bit better during the race, but it’s still far from good. The whole package at Red Bull isn’t working yet.
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“But that’s down to energy management too, and the engine as well, because, well, Max is struggling to overtake a Mercedes. He was right on Gasly’s tail, but there was no chance of getting past, and Gasly did a brilliant job of holding him off, you have to give him that.
“Another great race has come to an end. But Red Bull has problems pretty much everywhere – a bit with the engine, but especially with the chassis.
“And there are people at Red Bull who already think they should basically scrap the car and build a new one to see which direction it takes.
“And it would eat into the budget, so you’d end up with less money to bring in updates. But apparently they’re already thinking about it, that they no longer trust this car, which is now three races old, to be able to catch up at all. I think that’s being discussed in Milton Keynes right now.”
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Max Verstappen could be the next out of Red Bull as key mechanic resigns
The atmosphere in Milton Keynes will be tense after the start to 2026, especially now that more key figures are leaving, and they could lose their biggest yet in Verstappen.
Mechanic Ole Schack has resigned from Red Bull due to the changing atmosphere in the team, with Christian Horner, Helmut Marko, Adrian Newey and Jonathan Wheatley all having left in recent months.
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It is now feared that their star driver could be next. Verstappen is seriously considering his future in F1, hinting at the possibility of retirement at the end of 2026, and maybe sooner.
Verstappen could be moved to an ambassador role at Red Bull and quit mid-season. He will be desperate to see the team improve the RB22, or he will certainly consider his options.
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