Red Bull’s Monza balance issue echoes Zandvoort pain, Wache says
NXTbets Pro | Published On: September 4, 2026
Red Bull balance
Red Bull left Friday practice at Monza focused on one problem on the RB22, balance. Technical director Pierre Wache said that was the car’s main issue and compared it with the trouble Red Bull faced at Zandvoort. The team also worked with less information than it wanted after Ayumu Iwasa drove Verstappen’s car in first practice and Max Verstappen did not get into the cockpit until second practice. That missing first session reduced Red Bull’s track time and cut into the data it could use to sort out the setup. Wache said the team would keep working through components and pick between different setup directions before FP3 in an effort to improve the car overnight. He also pushed back on energy-management concerns, calling them a normal practice issue rather than a major worry. The message from Red Bull was clear. The team had a handling problem to solve, a short practice window to solve it in and no interest in treating the energy question as the main story.
Verstappen feedback
Verstappen’s own comments pointed to several linked problems rather than one isolated complaint. He reported braking issues on Friday and also said the car lacked low-speed grip. As the team tried different setup changes, he then felt a shortage of rear downforce and heavy bouncing. That made the RB22 harder to read and harder to place with confidence through the lap. The car’s behavior after the changes showed Red Bull was moving through a narrow range of solutions, chasing better balance without giving up too much speed in other parts of the circuit. Iwasa’s feedback from first practice backed up that picture. He said the car felt manageable in low-speed sections but quite tricky in high-speed corners. That split matters at Monza, where the setup has to deliver stability in one part of the lap and keep the car composed in another. Between Verstappen’s complaints and Iwasa’s remarks, Red Bull got a clear picture of a car that could run in patches but did not yet feel settled. The team still had enough time to keep working, but Friday’s session left it with more questions than answers.
Friday pace
The lap times did not hide the scale of the challenge. Verstappen ended Friday ninth fastest, while George Russell led the way. That result did not erase Red Bull’s setup concerns. Red Bull now has to decide which direction gives it the best chance to recover before FP3. That leaves Saturday with a simple task for Red Bull, find steadier balance, calm the rear of the car and give Verstappen a machine that feels more predictable across the lap than it did on Friday.
