Red Bull Pace, Balance Issues Surface in Spa Practice
NXTbets Pro | Published On: July 18, 2026
Verstappen pace
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen said the team had a good day Friday at the Belgian Grand Prix after he topped first practice at Spa-Francorchamps and went third-fastest in second practice. It was the first time Verstappen has led a practice session in 2026, a useful marker for a team that has spent recent weekends chasing a cleaner balance and more consistent pace. He finished nearly half a second behind Kimi Antonelli in the second session and said that run exposed the real gap between Red Bull and Mercedes. Verstappen also said the car sat in a better operating window than it did on some earlier weekends, which gave him more confidence across the lap. Even so, he pointed to two clear problem areas. Red Bull gave up time on Spa’s long straights and in energy management, and those weaknesses showed up once the field moved from the opening practice runs into the more representative second session. Verstappen’s comments painted a clear picture of a car that can flash speed over one lap but still needs more work to hold that level when the track and the tire cycle demand more from the package.
Gearbox issue
Verstappen’s day also included a mechanical headache that interrupted his rhythm in second practice. He complained over team radio about an unacceptable gearbox and downshift problem, and the issue carried enough weight to draw a sharp response from the driver after he ran wide into a gravel trap and called the gear-shift problem unbelievable. Red Bull later made a software change that improved the downshift issue, but the problem still shaped the team’s Friday running and kept Verstappen from settling into a smooth long stint. That kind of disruption matters at Spa, where a driver needs confidence through fast direction changes, braking zones and the launch out of corners onto the next straight. Verstappen said he was still trying to find more pace before qualifying, a sign that the team sees room to sharpen the package even after the strong opening session. The day gave Red Bull some encouragement because the car showed enough speed to lead first practice, but the follow-up run also showed how quickly small issues can limit the overall picture. Verstappen’s pace, the gearbox problem and the drop-off in second practice all pointed in the same direction. Red Bull has speed in the car, but it still needs a cleaner run to turn that speed into a stronger weekend.
Red Bull rear wing
Red Bull arrived at Spa with an older, more conventional rear wing after crashes in Austria and Great Britain forced the team to drop its rotating concept. That change shifted the focus from experimentation to protection, and Pierre Wache said Red Bull was prioritizing safety while it works to fix the rear-wing issue. The adjustment also showed up in the broader balance of the car, which Wache said was still far from perfect. That assessment matched Verstappen’s comments from the cockpit, where he described a package that could deliver promising speed in one part of the program and then show clear limits in another. The rear-wing decision gave the team a safer baseline, but it did not solve the larger setup questions that remain. Wache also said Red Bull still had long-run degradation to address, a problem that can be just as costly as a balance complaint when the laps pile up and the tires begin to fade. For Red Bull, Friday at Spa offered a mixed but useful read. The team found enough pace for Verstappen to head the opening session, and the driver called it a good day. It also found enough trouble to know the work is far from finished. The car’s operating window improved, yet the balance stayed off and the long-run picture still needs attention before the weekend moves toward qualifying and the race.
