Red Bull's Baku upgrade and Verstappen's feedback behind Malaysia and Singapore breakthrough

Back-to-back wins cap an improbable turnaround

Max Verstappen converted Red Bull's resurgence into consecutive victories, taking the Bahrain Grand Prix at Sepang — the team's first win of the 2026 season — and then winning the Singapore Grand Prix from pole position, adding victory in Saturday's Sprint at Marina Bay as well. Formula1.com reports that Verstappen spoke after his first-ever Singapore win about a car that had taken "a really nice step forward" and become more driveable and predictable, exactly what he said he needed to fight up front. ¹²⁶

Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies told Formula1.com that the team had the pace to win across the last three rounds and won two of them, and that the three very different circuits suggested the car should remain competitive at other track types. He cautioned that it is never a given, noting that McLaren's back-to-back wins and Mercedes' earlier dominance had both been followed by harder periods. ²

The scale of the recovery is striking. GMM reports that Mekies admitted even the team had not expected the dramatic return to winning form: "At the start of the season, we were a second behind," he said. "At one point we got within three tenths, but thought making up those last three tenths would be the hardest part." ⁷

The upgrade path: Austria, Miami and Baku

Formula1.com's technical analysis by Mark Hughes and Giorgio Piola revisits the development that underpinned the turnaround, emphasising that it is retrospective analysis rather than an announcement of a new update or proof that any single change caused the results. For the first 14 races Verstappen found the RB22 very difficult, but a major upgrade introduced in Baku for Round 15 preceded his wins at Sepang and Singapore. ¹

According to Formula1.com's Monday Morning Debrief, the Baku package — described by the team as its final major upgrade of the year — comprised a new floor body and diffuser, new sidepods, new cooling louvres, new mirrors and a new halo fairing. Qualifying in Baku was disappointing, with engine troubles and yellow flags contributing to Verstappen starting eighth, but a week later he missed winning the Azerbaijan Grand Prix by just 0.196 seconds before dominating Sepang qualifying. ⁴⁸

The groundwork was laid earlier. Formula1.com's Tech Weekly records an extensive Miami package — front wing, brake ducts, floor, sidepods, engine cover, diffuser and rear wing, plus cockpit changes and a steering rack modification for Verstappen — while GRANDE PRÊMIO details the Austrian Grand Prix revisions in June covering floor, sidepod inlet, engine cover, rear suspension, rear corner, rear wing and exhaust. Verstappen scored eight podiums in the ten races after the Austrian package, per GRANDE PRÊMIO's analysis. ³⁵

Mekies pushed back on the idea of a single silver bullet. GMM reports he told reporters there was no magic upgrade the team knew was coming, and that Sepang's dominance had surprised Red Bull, which had expected Singapore's slower corners to suit the RB22 better. ⁷

Verstappen's feedback and a milestone for Red Bull Ford Powertrains

The Sepang win carried extra weight: it was the first victory for Red Bull as a power unit manufacturer, with Red Bull Ford Powertrains in its first season. Mekies called it "another milestone moment in the history of this team" in comments to Formula1.com, crediting five years of work at Milton Keynes and crediting the late Dietrich Mateschitz, who approved the engine programme in 2021. ⁸⁷

Mekies also highlighted Verstappen's role in development. Speaking to Formula1.com after Singapore, he said the Dutchman's "technical sensitivity is outstanding, probably without any equivalent", allowing him to pinpoint what limits performance — though, as Mekies noted, identifying the problem does not guarantee an immediate fix. GMM reports Mekies also confirmed Red Bull did not promise Verstappen a breakthrough during contract negotiations earlier in the year, only showing him what was being worked on. ²⁷

Hadjar's fifth place at Sepang, limited by a battery issue after strong pace all weekend, underlined the car's competitiveness, Mekies told Formula1.com, expressing mixed feelings that a double podium had been within reach. ⁸

Mercedes still unlocking its own upgrade

Mercedes brought its first major aerodynamic upgrade since May to Sepang, expecting around 0.3 seconds per lap, but the gain did not materialise consistently during the Malaysian weekend, according to GRANDE PRÊMIO. The publication reports the team identified straight-line performance and understeer in slower corners as possible contributors, and also struggled to understand why promising practice pace had not translated into qualifying. Russell retired from the race with a power-unit problem, which GRANDE PRÊMIO notes was a separate concern from the aerodynamic upgrade investigation. ⁵

Mercedes then ran split specifications in Singapore, with Kimi Antonelli on the new package and George Russell on the previous specification. Trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin said in Mercedes' official race report that "by the end of the weekend, Kimi's package was clearly the faster of the two". ⁵

Team principal Toto Wolff told media after the Singapore race, in comments carried by Formula1.com, that the new car needs a very different set-up philosophy than the previous one. "Was it an easy car today like the previous one? I don't think it was. Does it have the performance that we were hoping the upgrade would bring? I don't think so yet. But it was a step in the right direction." ⁶

Wolff was generous about Red Bull's work. "You need to take your hat off for what Red Bull has done this season, how they have developed the car and how it's all come together as a package," he said, per Formula1.com, adding that "next year it's full on the fight between the teams and Red Bull is part of that". GRANDE PRÊMIO notes Mercedes won 11 of the first 16 grands prix and Antonelli remains firmly in control of the Drivers' Championship. ⁶⁵

Championship picture and the road to Austin

The results have tightened the standings without changing the leaders. Formula1.com reports Red Bull has closed in on McLaren for third in the Teams' Championship, with just seven points separating the two after the recent wins. GRANDE PRÊMIO notes Antonelli extended his lead over Russell to 102 points after Singapore and could mathematically secure the Drivers' Championship at the United States Grand Prix. ²⁵

Mekies told Formula1.com that Red Bull has completed its update programme for 2026 and there will be no other substantial upgrade to the car, with the remaining races devoted to learning for 2027 under the same technical regulations. He warned the pecking order could change rapidly if rivals bring upgrades, and said the team will experiment and take risks to maximise learning. ²

The next comparison comes at the United States Grand Prix in Austin from October 23 to 25, where Verstappen will chase a third consecutive victory, per GRANDE PRÊMIO. Mercedes expects a clearer read there, with a conventional non-sprint weekend offering more practice time to optimise the new W17 package. GRANDE PRÊMIO's analysis concludes that Red Bull improved faster over the recent development cycle, while the evidence does not prove Mercedes went backwards in absolute terms. ⁵