Max Verstappen has conceded that Red Bull are now part of the \u201cmidfield battle\u201d after he was unable to pass Alpine\u2019s Pierre Gasly in Japan, leaving the squad with plenty of improvements to find ahead of the next round.<\/p>\n
The Dutchman has made no secret of the challenges Red Bull<\/a> are facing amid the new regulations in 2026, with Red Bull producing their own power unit for the first time this season.<\/p>\n After a run of four title successes, and missing out on the 2025 championship by just two points to Lando Norris, Verstappen is used to fighting at the front. However, Red Bull’s early 2026 performance has seen the team fall down the pecking order with the Dutchman knocked out in Q2<\/a> at the Suzuka Circuit, where he had dominated by taking pole position and victory in each of the previous four years.<\/p>\n He was able to return to the top 10 on the opening laps of the race but could not find a way past his former team mate Gasly<\/a>, who has enjoyed a great start to the season with Alpine<\/a> by scoring in every round so far.<\/p>\n Asked whether their battle was a sign of how much work the Milton Keynes outfit have on their hands, Verstappen replied: \u201cYeah, I mean it\u2019s not something negative [to be] compared to Alpine because they\u2019re doing a good job. It\u2019s just for us, of course it\u2019s not where we\u2019d like to be, but at the moment I feel we\u2019re a bit more in that midfield battle than up at the front.\u201d<\/p>\n Gasly ultimately held on to take the chequered flag just 0.337s ahead of Verstappen as Red Bull failed to find a solution to the balance issues that plagued both of their drivers throughout the weekend.<\/p>\n