Verstappen Radio Exposes Red Bull RB22 Flaws at Monza
NXTbets Pro | Published On: September 8, 2026
Verstappen’s Monza podium
Max Verstappen finished third at the Italian Grand Prix at Monza and used his cooldown lap to spell out why the result still felt harder than the podium suggested. In an untelevised radio exchange, Verstappen told Laurent Mekies that Red Bull’s weaknesses were obvious at Monza. He said the RB22 still lacked straight-line energy deployment compared with Mercedes-powered cars, and that gap made it tough to defend position even after Red Bull gave him fresher tires with a Virtual Safety Car pit stop. Verstappen said he had to keep attacking to hold ground, including repeated overtaking attempts and several passes around the outside at the second chicane. He also said the car’s ride characteristics made the circuit a difficult place to compete, even with the better tire situation. The Monza podium also marked Verstappen’s third podium in the last four races.
Red Bull’s weaknesses
Verstappen was direct about the RB22’s remaining problems. He pointed to the car’s rear axle, saying an issue that had shown up in qualifying carried into the race. That problem hurt the car over bumps, kerbs and in low-speed sections, three areas that made Monza even more demanding for Red Bull. Verstappen summed up the battle during the race by saying he was “fighting with two hands behind my back” against the Mercedes cars, a line that captured how much work he had to do just to stay in the fight.
Mekies’ assessment
Mekies struck a more upbeat tone after the checkered flag, congratulating Verstappen on a strong drive and praising the podium finish. He called the Monza race a big step forward for Red Bull and said the team’s race pace was its best in several weeks. Mekies also said that pace was strong enough to beat Ferrari and McLaren on merit, which gave Red Bull a clearer sign of progress even if the car still had issues to solve. He said the team needs more top speed to match Mercedes, a reminder that the straight-line deficit Verstappen described remained a problem. The contrast between the driver’s in-race frustration and the team’s post-race satisfaction framed the weekend well. Red Bull left Monza with a podium and signs of better race pace, but also with a blunt list of areas that still need work. Verstappen’s comments showed the gap to Mercedes-powered cars in straight-line energy deployment, while Mekies’ remarks pointed to a team that believes its overall race form is improving. The result gave Red Bull something concrete to build on.
