Verstappen finds positives in new Red Bull despite F1 criticism

Max Verstappen has identified a silver lining in Red Bull's all-new RB22 car, expressing overall satisfaction with its development and reliability despite his vocal criticism of Formula 1's shift towards a more battery-dependent era. The four-time champion acknowledged the team's impressive achievement in building a completely new power unit from the ground up, marking a proud internal milestone even as he continues to question the sport's technical direction.

Why it matters:

Verstappen's tempered optimism about his own car, set against his stark criticism of the regulatory philosophy, highlights a complex start to the new era. It suggests Red Bull may have navigated its massive internal engineering challenge successfully, potentially keeping them in the championship fight even if their star driver remains philosophically opposed to the cars he must now race.

The details:

• Verstappen's criticism has been consistent and blunt, describing the new-spec cars as "FE on steroids" and suggesting F1 should eliminate the battery component entirely, moving away from the current 50-50 combustion-electric energy split.
• Despite this, he praised Red Bull's internal efforts, calling the ground-up development of a new power unit "really impressive" and a "very proud moment" for the team.
• He reported being "very happy with the car in general," noting a lack of major problems and a positive start to the year from an operational perspective after a single difficult day in pre-season testing.
• Early indications place the Red Bull in the competitive mix with Mercedes and Ferrari for the season opener in Australia, with reigning constructors' champion McLaren appearing slightly behind.
• On driving feel, Verstappen acknowledged drivers are still fighting for grip and managing the car at the limit, though he cited reduced downforce and current tire characteristics as complicating factors, especially on Bahrain's abrasive track surface.

What's next:

The true test comes at the Australian Grand Prix in March, where the competitive order will begin to solidify. All eyes will be on whether Red Bull's technical achievement translates into race-winning performance and if the perceived improved mechanical grip of the new cars can offset the downforce loss that drivers like Verstappen are feeling. His personal conflict with the regulations will continue, but his competitiveness likely hinges on the RB22's potential.