Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies has delivered a crucial assurance to drivers Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar that the team will resolve the “fundamental issues” plaguing their troubled RB22 car following another disappointing practice session at the Japanese Grand Prix. Despite introducing an upgrade package for Suzuka, Red Bull endured a frustrating opening day with Verstappen finishing only 10th in practice and Hadjar down in 15th position, leaving both drivers several tenths behind their usual rivals.
The four-time world champion expressed his ongoing frustrations with the car’s handling, revealing that solving one problem only seems to create another. This persistent cycle has left Red Bull trailing significantly behind Mercedes, McLaren, and Ferrari in terms of performance, with both drivers describing the RB22 as extremely difficult to handle during second practice sessions.
Speaking to Sky DE, Mekies acknowledged the team’s current struggles while maintaining confidence in their ability to turn things around. “We are far off and missing quite a bit of performance,” the team principal admitted. “I think you can hear that in the reactions of our drivers as well. So far, we haven’t managed to give them a car they can push with. So we have a number of fundamental issues to resolve on our end.”
The Red Bull boss emphasized that while the current situation is frustrating, the team has previously overcome similar challenges and will do so again. “Of course, you don’t want to go through a problem-solving phase like this, but it’s part of the process,” Mekies explained. “We need to understand the core of our limitations as soon as possible and take the necessary steps. But we are confident. It is not the first time we have gone through difficulties to understand our limitations.”
Perhaps most concerning for Red Bull is Mekies’ admission that the team still doesn’t “fully understand” their current car, which makes finding solutions particularly challenging. “There are probably certain aspects of the car that we haven’t utilised well yet or don’t fully understand,” he added. “That is the work we need to do now in the coming hours, days and probably weeks to get back to the level where we want to be.”