Max Verstappen finished just 0.196 seconds behind race winner George Russell in Baku despite starting sixth, marking Red Bull's closest approach to victory all season. The Dutch driver described the result as encouraging but warned that upcoming Mercedes upgrades could make future wins even more difficult to achieve.
Red Bull introduced their final significant upgrade package in Azerbaijan, featuring a new floor and revised sidepods that both drivers praised for improving car handling. Team principal Laurent Mekies acknowledged Baku was likely Red Bull's most favorable track in terms of car characteristics but expressed hope for more competitive opportunities before season's end.
The team continues to struggle with persistent car degradation issues and electrical deployment problems that cost what Verstappen calls 'free lap time' compared to Mercedes. These fundamental problems cannot be fully resolved with the current RB22 chassis but will inform development of next year's car.
A winless 2026 season would mark the first time since 2015 for both Verstappen and Red Bull. While the team shows upward trajectory with their upgrades working as intended, Mercedes' planned power unit improvements threaten to extend their advantage during the remaining race weekends.