Red Bull boss Laurent Mekies admits the team’s car showed “significant shortcomings” at the Chinese Grand Prix.
After a promising start to F1’s new era of rules in pre-season testing ahead of their first season as an engine maker, Red Bull have encountered reliability and pace problems with their RB21 car across the campaigns opening two race weekends
Engine-related reliability issues stopped Isack Hadjar in Australia and Max Verstappen in China, with the latter’s sixth-place finish from the season-opener being Red Bull’s best result so far. The team’s 12-point haul after two races of a season is their lowest return since 2015.
Speaking after Sunday’s Shanghai race, which saw Verstappen retire when running sixth and Hadjar finish eighth after an early spin, Mekies said: “We knew that just getting onto the grid in Melbourne with our own PU [Power Unit] was a major achievement in itself and it would have been naive not to expect we would encounter reliability issues.
“We had to retire Max [on Sunday] 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.”
Verstappen, who has repeatedly voiced his displeasure with the 2026 F1 cars in general, admitted Red Bull’s Shanghai weekend had been “particularly bad” after he failed to score points in both the Sprint and Grand Prix.
While poor starts from eighth on the grid compromised him immediately in both races in Shanghai, Verstappen also struggled with the RB21’s handling and tyre degradation all weekend – describing it as “incredibly tough to drive” and saying that “every lap is a fight”.
He told Sky Sports F1‘: “It would help if we just had a normal start also! Every time I’ve dropped to last.
“A big problem for us is tyre degradation. We are graining a lot, probably more than the people around us. So that’s one thing we need to solve.
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Max Verstappen believes Red Bull can’t fight with the top two teams, having struggled for pace during the Australian Grand Prix.
“Then getting on top of our problems. But that’s not easy. You can see that all over the grid. Some cars are not even starting. It’s all very complicated.
“The team do everything they can. They give it everything and that’s painful because I know they can do it but at the moment we are not where we want to be.
“More problems than expected and also balance-wise, not where we want to be. A lot of stuff, hopefully after Japan, we can make some big steps.”
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Red Bull’s Max Verstappen crashed into the barriers during Q1 at the Australian Grand Prix.
Mekies said the five-week gap now in the schedule after Suzuka following the cancellation of April’s Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix would allow Red Bull crucial extra time to work through their issues back at base.
“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,” he added.
“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.”
Formula 1 next heads to the iconic Suzuka Circuit for the Japanese Grand Prix on March 27-29 live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports with NOW – no contract, cancel anytime
