Red Bull Faces Serious Technical Crisis at Monza

On September 5, 2026, at the Monza circuit, both Red Bull RB22 cars of Max Verstappen and Ayumu Iwasa recorded FP2 times slower than Racing Bulls — the customer team using the same RBPT power unit. This is a rare moment in the ground-effect era, where the works team typically consistently outperforms its customer team. But not today. Both drivers described the same issue: the car loses connection at high speed. Iwasa stated directly: "The car is fine at low speed, but at high speed, it's quite difficult to control, like the car is disconnected." Verstappen, with his characteristic straightforward driving style, listed a series of problems on the radio: brakes, rear downforce, bouncing phenomenon. Three systems failing simultaneously — a sign of a car outside its optimal operating window. The Monza incident is not the starting point. Technical Director Pierre Wache acknowledged this is a similar problem to Zandvoort — a high-downforce track — suggesting a structural fault, not an isolated setup issue. This marks the first time this season that a top team's technical director has publicly acknowledged an issue at the car's aerodynamic foundation. Recent upgrades — small bib and front wing — may have played a role, but Wache emphasized: "The issue is at a much more fundamental level." This is a notable statement from a technical director who rarely publicly admits weaknesses. If the problem predated the latest upgrade package, the team's development direction may have been wrong for several consecutive races. The technical nature of the issue lies in the Venturi tunnel system beneath the car's floor. At high speed or under large yaw angles, the Venturi tunnels lose their ability to maintain sealed airflow, causing sudden downforce loss. This is precisely the phenomenon that affected Mercedes during 2026-2026, and its appearance on the RB22 suggests the team may have issues with suspension design and ride height control under aerodynamic load. Verstappen missed FP1 due to the rookie practice regulation — young drivers must drive at least two FP1 sessions per season. This is a standard FIA regulation, but the timing could not be worse: the team lost approximately 60-90 minutes of setup optimization while the car was already facing serious problems. They only had FP2 to diagnose and FP3 to confirm — an extremely limited timeframe for a structural issue. Beyond the balance issue, both drivers also struggled with energy management. Iwasa revealed a specific error in the preparation phase before the push lap. At Monza, where 80% of the lap runs at full throttle, ERS deployment strategy becomes critical for both qualifying and race pace. An energy management deficit of just 0.1-0.2 seconds per lap is amplified by the long straights. FP2 data shows the actual gap: both RBs were slower than Racing Bulls and Haas. This is not just a grid position issue — this signals the problem lies at the chassis level, not the powertrain. If the issue were RBPT-related, Racing Bulls would also struggle similarly. But the customer team was faster, meaning the RB22's chassis design has a specific problem. Normally, when a rookie and a reigning champion both report the same issues, this is the most valuable feedback for the technical team. It removes the variable of driver adaptability. When a driver new to the car (Iwasa) feels the same high-speed disconnection as the reigning champion, the problem is in the car, not in the driver's head. This actually supports internal harmony — neither driver can blame the other's feedback. Wache's report that the team will "evaluate some components" and "make choices between different components we've had for the past few races" reveals a concerning picture: the team has accumulated alternatives without committing to a specific direction. This is a sign of serious technical uncertainty — a situation any F1 team wants to avoid. Although Wache mentioned the team's "strong track record of turning difficult weekends around," he was not confident about fixing this issue. When a technical director says directly "I'm never confident," this signals real uncertainty about the ability to solve the problem within a single weekend. This is a significant departure from the optimistic language typically seen in F1 press conferences. Red Bull's situation at Monza reflects a deeper issue: the RB22 may be entering a negative development spiral. When a team loses faith in its development direction, they tend to overreact with extreme setup changes, which can make the car even more unpredictable. This is the classic "losing the car" phenomenon in F1, which occurred with Mercedes during 2026-2026 and Ferrari during 2026-2026. The ATR (Aerodynamic Testing Restriction) system from the 2026 cost cap breach penalty continues to constrain Red Bull's development capacity. The 10% reduction in wind tunnel testing time compared to competitors may explain the slower development pace. With Adrian Newey — architect of many major successes — announcing his departure, and Jonathan Wheatley moving to Audi, Wache is now the sole key technical figure. His contract extension to 2028 is an important signal for stability, but if the RB22's problems persist, his position could come under pressure. Three signals need monitoring in the coming days. First, Saturday's qualifying result will be a critical inflection point — if Red Bull doesn't make Q3, the "crisis" narrative becomes undeniable. Second, the next upgrade package the team brings to upcoming races will indicate whether they are focusing on temporary fixes or comprehensive changes. Third, signals from Verstappen in upcoming interviews will reflect the remaining trust between driver and team. This is not just a story about a difficult weekend — this is a test of the recovery capability of the team that once dominated F1 for the past three seasons.