Red Bull turned up in Budapest hoping the Hungaroring would be kinder to the RB22 than Silverstone or Spa. It was not. After a Friday of balance complaints, a broken seat, dodgy downshifts and a Ferrari that looked serene by comparison, the question hanging over the team is no longer about this weekend. It is about whether they can win any race in 2026 at all.
Hadjar: FP2 Was Even Worse Than FP1
Isack Hadjar pulled no punches after a difficult opening day. He finished fourth in FP1, which looked respectable enough, but ended up sixth in FP2 and more than a second behind Lewis Hamilton. Not exactly the trajectory you want heading into qualifying.
“Very tricky FP2. I thought FP1 was tough enough, it got worse in FP2 with the wind. It’s hard to get a proper read with the changes we made. The Ferraris are always stronger. We’ve got to find quite a bit of lap time tonight.” – Isack Hadjar
The 21-year-old also delivered a rather pointed observation about the broader picture, noting that Red Bull are essentially sitting in the waiting room until Mercedes decides to show up properly. Hamilton led a Ferrari one-two in FP2, which means that wait may be longer than Hadjar hopes.
Technical Director Waché Outlines the Scale of the Problem
Pierre Waché was refreshingly honest, which is either a sign of confidence or resignation. He confirmed the drivers are unhappy with the car balance, that the bumpy Hungaroring surface is making life very difficult, and that Ferrari is the benchmark. None of that is particularly surprising, but hearing it from the technical director makes it rather official.
More pressing are the mechanical niggles. Verstappen had seat discomfort and a persistent downshifting problem on Friday, and Waché confirmed neither had been resolved by the time the garage closed. Handling bumps and kerbs has been a Red Bull weakness for years, and Waché admitted the same issues that plagued them in 2025 have resurfaced. The Macarena rear wing is back and working correctly, which is about the only positive from the day.
Can Red Bull Even Win This Year?
Asked directly whether Verstappen can take a victory in 2026, Waché was conspicuously non-committal. He spoke of development plans and budget cap limitations and doing everything possible. That is the language of a team managing expectations, not one about to go on a charge.
Hadjar’s long-run pace looked decent, and one day of practice does not write off a weekend. But the gap on a single lap, a scattered set-up direction and a wind that makes every change a gamble add up to a very tall order. Mercedes may have their own concerns heading into Saturday, but Red Bull look like a team hoping rivals slow down rather than one capable of going faster themselves.
