Hadjar Qualifies Fourth as Red Bull Upgrade Lifts Baku Pace
NXTbets Pro | Published On: September 26, 2026
RB22 update
Red Bull brought floor, diffuser and sidepod changes to Baku, and the team saw enough in the package to call it a positive step. Pierre Wache backed that view after qualifying, but he also made clear the update did not solve everything Red Bull needs for the bigger fight ahead. Mercedes looked ahead on short runs, while McLaren appeared similar to Red Bull. That left the team with a familiar message from Baku, progress came, but the gap at the sharp end stayed tight and the ceiling still looked lower than Red Bull wants. Verstappen was even more direct about the scale of the challenge. He said the Baku upgrade was useful, but it was not enough for next year’s task. He also said Baku was Red Bull’s best chance to win a Formula 1 race in 2026, a striking line from a driver who still expects to fight at the front every weekend. The overall picture from the garage was clear. Red Bull found a step. It did not find a breakthrough.
Verstappen setback
Max Verstappen qualified eighth in Baku after a session that went wrong in pieces. He said his engine was about half a second down on the straights compared with Isack Hadjar in Q1, a problem that left him chasing speed from the start. The trouble deepened in Q3 when a battery issue forced him to abort a lap and lose tire temperature. Verstappen also pointed to a yellow flag from Lando Norris, which added another obstacle at the wrong time. The result, he said, was “not good enough.” He did not soften that assessment. Verstappen said second place should have been possible, but Red Bull was not “robust” enough to handle the problems that piled up through the session. That was the tone of the whole day for him. The pace was there in flashes, but the run from Q1 to Q3 never came together cleanly enough to turn speed into a clean grid spot. He still said he planned to fight for the podium, and his comments made clear he expects Red Bull to keep pushing for answers. He also said Mercedes looked strong and would bring an upgrade in Malaysia next week, a reminder that the competitive picture is moving quickly. For Verstappen, Baku was a missed chance. The problems were too many, the margin too small and the final result left him far from where he wanted to be.
Hadjar return
Isack Hadjar gave Red Bull one clean outcome in Baku. He returned after missing three races with a wrist injury and qualified fourth, a strong result in a street circuit that punishes mistakes and rewards control. Hadjar said the RB22 felt “better than when I left it,” and he still believes there is more speed to find. He also said he took few risks because of the track’s walls and his condition, which shaped the way he approached the lap. That caution did not stop him from landing close to the front. In fact, he said he was surprised to be that close to second despite taking such a careful approach. That matters in a session where the margins were narrow and confidence had to be balanced against restraint. Hadjar’s day stood in contrast to Verstappen’s. One driver fought the car and a chain of setbacks. The other returned from injury, managed the circuit well and showed the upgrade can deliver a competitive platform when the lap stays clean. Baku gave Red Bull two different readings from the same package. Verstappen’s side showed the limits of the car under pressure. Hadjar’s side showed what the update can do when the run is neat and the driver keeps the risk in check.
