Red Bull limped away from China last weekend bruised and frustrated, but inside Milton Keynes, there’s no talk of panic – only a quiet, steely belief that the RB22’s story is far from written.
After a challenging weekend that saw Max Verstappen retire and Isack Hadjar struggle to salvage points, the spotlight has fallen squarely on a car that looks, at least for now, off the pace.
But team boss Laurent Mekies insists the tide can turn – and quickly.
A rough reality check in China
Shanghai exposed Red Bull’s vulnerabilities in uncomfortable detail. Handling issues, reliability concerns, and a clear performance deficit combined to leave the team chasing shadows.
“Being on the back foot at the start of a Sprint weekend is the worst possible scenario as there is really little time to catch up and get on top of any difficulties,” Mekies said, quoted by RACER.
“We knew that just getting onto the grid in Melbourne with our own PU was a major achievement in itself and it would have been naïve not to expect we would encounter reliability issues.
“We had to retire Max because of a coolant fault. However, this was not our only issue as overall, performance-wise, our package showed some significant shortcomings.
“However, we have learned so much over the past few weeks and I expect that we can be more competitive from the next round in Japan in a fortnight’s time.
“After that, the unfortunate but inevitable cancellation of the races in April will give all of us a chance to catch our breath and work as hard as always in Milton Keynes.
“We have a great group of talented people on the campus and I have full confidence that we will get through our current limitations thanks to a massive push from everyone, and improve our package rapidly.”
Eyes on Suzuka – and the long game
Despite trailing the likes of Mercedes and Ferrari by a significant margin, Mekies is refusing to frame the gap as a crisis.
“I’m not sure if worried [about the gap] is the right word,” he said. “It’s large, no question. It didn’t really come as a surprise.
“We were expecting them to be very, very strong as the pre-season test built up, even though it was not immediately visible at the test. So, not a surprise that it’s large.
“On the other hand, we expect the season to be very long. We expect the development rate to be much higher than what we have seen in the past.
“Of course, it’s always going to be difficult to get a second back, because obviously they will improve as well, but nobody is giving up here and that is the fight we are in.”
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That fight now turns to Suzuka – a circuit that rewards balance, confidence, and aerodynamic finesse. For Red Bull, it’s more than just another race; it’s an early chance to prove that the RB22’s flaws are fixable, not fatal.
Because in a season defined by rapid evolution, standing still isn’t an option – and Red Bull fully intends to move forward.
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