Red Bull Racing demonstrated significant performance gains during the Austrian Grand Prix on Sunday, June 28, 2026, following the introduction of a new aerodynamic upgrade package for the RB22 chassis.
Drivers Isack Hadjar and Max Verstappen secured sixth and second places respectively, despite navigating qualifying setbacks and early electronic management issues during the race event.
Hadjar managed to outpace title contenders Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc after starting from the eighth position on the grid due to a qualifying incident.
Hadjar Impressed by Race Pace
"I can't remember another race in my career where I could fight with the big guys, like the Ferraris and the McLarens," said Hadjar.
The young driver encountered minor braking issues and rapid tire degradation toward the end of his stints due to high track temperatures.
"If we had started a bit further forward and if I hadn't had problems with energy management, a fourth place would have been achievable.
So this is positive," he concluded.
The team experienced mechanical delays during Friday practice, which limited initial garage track time before recovering pace during Saturday sessions.
"I braked too late a few times. I had very little confidence in braking, so I had to keep some margin.
I saw others around me had the same problem. I wasn't the only one.
This could depend on the circuit and the high track temperatures. The tires felt very bad," Hadjar explained.
Team officials noted that while single-lap qualifying pace still trails competitors like Mercedes, the long-run race configuration marks a definitive step forward.
"You can definitely feel it in the race pace," said Hadjar.
Team principal Laurent Mekies indicated that trackside engineers will continue to refine the vehicle setups to unlock further development potential.
"I think we had the second fastest car.
Normally we struggle more in the race than in qualifying, but this weekend it was about the same.
That is very positive," Hadjar noted.
The driver minimized the impact of a close wheel-to-wheel encounter with Lewis Hamilton in the early stages of the event.
"Not really, it was just fun," he laughed.
Hadjar expressed confidence that the updated package would remain highly competitive at the upcoming British Grand Prix at Silverstone.
"I don't think I learned anything specific.
Maybe I was a bit too nice to Lewis in turn four, but at that moment I think I did pretty well," he said.
Hadjar currently holds the eighth position in the global drivers' championship standings with a total of 42 points.
"I think today we had the second best car on the grid," he judged.
He anticipated that cooler ambient temperatures at the next European rounds would play to the strengths of the RB22 package.
"We were faster than the McLarens and the Ferraris.
I think Mercedes is still a bit better, and with Max in the car, victory is within reach, so I'm satisfied.
I would have liked to see how my race pace would have been if I had started further ahead, but well, I'm satisfied," he began.
The next race weekend is scheduled to take place at the historic Silverstone circuit in Great Britain.
"I think performance-wise it will be pretty much the same," Hadjar said.
Hadjar emphasized that the base platform has unlocked significant performance despite not running a perfectly optimized mechanical setup.
"I hope the temperatures won't be as extreme, because our car doesn't like that.
So if it gets a bit colder, I think we can compete at the front," he expected.
He expressed satisfaction with the overall aggressive racing strategy required to navigate from the midfield rows.
"That was without a doubt the best race pace I've had this year," he said.
The competitive field spread indicates a tighter battle at the front of the grid for the remainder of the summer season.
"It's a shame, you know, starting from eighth I knew I couldn't overtake all the McLarens and Ferraris ahead of me.
I knew I could fight. But yeah, from eighth you just have to race aggressively," he explained.
The team will evaluate the telemetry data collected from both cars to prepare for the fast corners of the next track layout.
"Yes, definitely.
I mean, I think we didn't get the car setup right this weekend, and yet it's already very fast.
I think it has more potential than we showed this weekend," Hadjar said.
Hadjar also praised his teammate's recovery drive after listening to the final classification over the team radio loop.
"Very well done by Max, this is really impressive," he shared.
Max Verstappen acknowledged that his competitive Sunday pace exceeded his expectations following a difficult final practice session.
"Honestly, it went better than expected. Also the race pace.
I honestly didn't think I would fight for victory before I got in the car this morning, so that was certainly very positive," said Verstappen.
