Guenther Steiner has offered a direct assessment of Red Bull Racing’s current performance and future prospects, stating that the team’s previous era of dominance is unlikely to return. His comments precede the upcoming Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps, scheduled for July 17-19, 2026.
Red Bull has experienced a challenging start to the 2026 Formula 1 season. The team currently sits sixth in the Constructors’ standings, trailing leaders Mercedes by 119 points.
Max Verstappen, a four-time world champion, is ninth in the Drivers’ standings with 12 points. His new teammate, Isack Hadjar, has accumulated four points.
Both drivers have reported issues with the RB22 chassis, citing poor handling and balance characteristics. Verstappen described the car as ‘completely undriveable’ after a retirement at the Chinese Grand Prix due to DRS coolant problems.
Steiner has been critical of Verstappen’s public complaints regarding the new 2026 regulations. He suggests Verstappen’s dissatisfaction stems from the car’s performance rather than the rules themselves.
According to Steiner, Verstappen ‘throws the toys out of the pram when it doesn’t go his way’. He attributes Red Bull’s struggles to their new in-house power unit, developed in collaboration with Ford, and not the regulatory framework.
Steiner also indicated that Verstappen’s vocal criticism might be a calculated effort to influence the FIA into altering the engine regulations to suit Red Bull’s interests.
The 2026 season introduced significant regulation changes, including a revised power unit configuration that removed the MGU-H and increased MGU-K output. New active aerodynamics, featuring X-mode for straights and Z-mode for corners, are also part of the updated rules.
Red Bull Powertrains, with support from Ford, is now responsible for manufacturing its own engines for both Red Bull Racing and Racing Bulls.
The team has also undergone substantial personnel changes. High-profile figures such as Helmut Marko, Christian Horner, and Adrian Newey have departed.
Gianpiero Lambiase, Verstappen’s race engineer, is scheduled to join McLaren in 2028.
In April 2026, Red Bull announced a technical department reshuffle. Ben Waterhouse was promoted to Chief Performance and Design Engineer, and Andrea Landi joined as Head of Performance on July 1.
Steiner believes it will take ‘years’ for Red Bull to rebuild and regain its previous level of dominance.
The former team principal’s comments underscore the scale of the challenge facing Red Bull as they navigate the new technical landscape and internal restructuring. The upcoming races, including Spa, will be critical in demonstrating their progress.
