Max Verstappen has named the “hardest step” Red Bull faces in trying to latch onto F1 rivals with its RB22 car.
The Red Bull machine has proven to be at least third-best in 2026, with Mercedes and Ferrari the class leaders, with Red Bull often fighting with McLaren to be third fastest.
After the British GP, McLaren holds the upper hand in the constructors’ battle on 179 points, with Red Bull 51 points behind on 128, with Verstappen seventh in the drivers’ standings with two podiums from nine races.
The team was initially battling to reduce the weight in the chassis, with an upgrade in Austria allowing Verstappen to finish in second place, with the four-time champion detailing that the hardest step facing the Milton Keynes squad remains to be taken.
“There are, of course, easier steps to make,” Verstappen explained to media, including RacingNews365, when asked about the ease of bringing upgrades.
“When you are far behind, the hardest [step] is always the last one to really fight for the win, so let’s see how we can do that to be in the fight again.
“I am not sure, but for sure, the team is always giving it 100% and pushing it flat out to make the car faster, but we also know that other teams are constantly bringing upgrades.
“So we just need to always try and find a little bit more to try and close that gap.”