Max Verstappen Calls for ‘More Overall Performance’ From Red Bull After Dutch GP Sprint
Max Verstappen left the Dutch GP Sprint with three points and the same concern Red Bull identified on Friday: the RB22 is short of pace. After qualifying sixth, 0.527 seconds behind George Russell’s sprint pole, the home driver started and finished P6 at Zandvoort. He spent much of the 24-lap race behind Oscar Piastri and could not turn that pressure into a pass.
Verstappen explained the problems he faced during the Sprint race at the Dutch GP, one of them included the high levels of tire degradation. The Red Bull driver believes that there is obvious scopes of improvement to achieve the pure pace that Red Bull and Verstappen are known for.
“I mean, we wanted to make some changes anyway, and after this race, it will stay the same, so same thought process, So we’ll see if we can improve it a little bit. We we definitely lack a little bit on, like, pure pace, but at least the deg wasn’t too bad in the race.”
The four-time World Champion also adds,
“I just got a bit stuck behind Oscar in around here. As soon as you get close, your tires overheat and you you can’t pass, so you’re just stuck. But I think in the race we looked maybe a little bit more competitive, so that’s good, but we need to find more overall performance.”
Red Bull’s tire life and outright speed told different stories. The car avoided heavy degradation, yet Verstappen still lacked the pace to clear Piastri. The official Formula 1 results placed Piastri fifth and Verstappen sixth, while Russell won from Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris.
Verstappen Found Better Race Pace but No Way Past Piastri
Verstappen believed the car could be “maybe a little bit more competitive” over the race distance. His time behind Piastri exposed another limit. Following closely through Zandvoort’s loaded corners raised the tire temperatures before he could get close enough to attack.
May 23, 2026; Montreal, Quebec, CANADA; Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen (3) during the qualifying session of the Lenovo Grand Prix Du Canada at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images Credit: IMAGN IMAGES
“I think we were just lacking a bit of pace today, It was difficult to follow closely, and once you get into that dirty air, the tires start to overheat.”
Oscar Piastri said Verstappen was close for a few laps, but it didn’t feel like he was close enough to make a move.
Dirty air affected other drivers, but the RB22 did not have enough performance in reserve to overcome it. Red Bull must address its half-second qualifying deficit and a race car that could apply pressure without completing an overtake. Track position becomes even more valuable when passing is this difficult.
Changes planned for RB22 Before Qualifying
The sprint supplied data at the right point in the weekend. Under the 2026 FIA Sporting Regulations, the first parc fermé period runs from Sprint Qualifying until the Sprint starts. A separate period begins when the car first leaves the pits in Grand Prix qualifying. Red Bull therefore has a window to revise Verstappen’s setup.
Those changes were already planned. Red Bull now knows its tire wear was manageable, while single-lap grip and performance in traffic remained weak. More downforce may help through Zandvoort’s corners, but it can cost straight-line speed and make passing harder. The team must improve the balance rather than tune only for tire life.
Verstappen’s demand comes two days after he extended his Red Bull contract through 2030. Red Bull has secured its lead driver for the long term. Saturday’s qualifying will test whether it can give him a faster car now.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
