Verstappen says Red Bull wasted best chance to win in Baku
NXTbets Pro | Published On: September 29, 2026
Verstappen’s Baku frustration
Red Bull thought the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku was its best chance to win in 2026, and Max Verstappen said the team left that opportunity on the table. Verstappen finished 0.196 seconds behind the race winner in a race the team targeted as its most favorable track for victory. Verstappen was blunt afterward. He said Red Bull “did a great job messing it up.” Verstappen said the car felt strong there, but he also made clear that feeling alone did not solve the problems that kept Red Bull from converting pace into a win. He said the team still has limitations he does not think are fixable this year. The message from Verstappen was simple. Red Bull had a real shot, and it missed.
RB22 upgrade gains
Red Bull brought its final major RB22 upgrade package to Baku, and the changes delivered the sort of progress the team had wanted. The update included a new floor and revised sidepods, and Verstappen said it improved the car’s balance and race pace. The gains showed up most clearly on soft tires and through Baku’s corners. That did not erase the other issues Verstappen keeps pointing to. He said lingering degradation problems were still costing the team lap time. He also said problems with power-unit deployment were taking more time away. The Baku package gave the team a better platform, but it did not turn the RB22 into a complete answer. Red Bull had more grip and better balance, but the same basic gaps kept showing up when the race demanded consistency.
Mekies sees chances
Laurent Mekies also framed Baku as a missed chance, but he kept some optimism in the picture. He said it was Red Bull’s most favorable track for a win, which made the outcome sting even more. He also said the team could still have a couple more chances to win before the end of the year. Mekies said the remaining races matter because they give Red Bull more to learn before 2027. The result in Baku reinforced both sides of the story. Red Bull showed enough pace to believe it can still fight at the front, but it also showed why the team fell short of a win. Verstappen said future winning chances would be tougher if Mercedes’ planned upgrade for Malaysia worked. A winless 2026 season would be the first for Red Bull and Verstappen since 2015, and Baku made clear that avoiding that outcome will require more than one strong upgrade package.
