RacingJenson Button says the fix is as blunt as it sounds. “Build a faster car? That’s basically it,” the 2009 Formula One World Champion told Sky Sports F1. As Red Bull Racing wrestles with early-2026 form under new regulations, the message lands hard after bruising weekends in Melbourne and Shanghai and with Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar both hit by reliability-related retirements.
Button expanded on the theme that Red Bull needs to get moving on development. He said on Sky Sports F1 that Red Bull are “still all understanding the regulations, and they’re still fine-tuning the cars... We’re going to see a lot of upgrades coming this year, more than normal, but also within the team, I think there’s always space for improvement... It’s understanding what you have, what tools you have at your disposal and maximising that,” in a Sky Sports F1 discussion.
Karun Chandhok backed up the diagnosis and put the spotlight on the chassis. Speaking as a Sky Sports F1 commentator in the same discussion, Chandhok said, “But actually, the chassis side seems to be struggling a little bit. I don’t think they’ve got the car balance underneath them. And Shanghai illustrated that; they just suffered with aero performance...” The comments reflect what played out at the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai, where Red Bull could not make up ground through the high-speed sections and never looked settled in traffic.
The results have underlined those concerns. Reliability issues forced retirements for both Hadjar and Verstappen, and while Red Bull fought McLaren for third-best in Melbourne, the Chinese round was a step back. Red Bull finished behind the Haas of Oliver Bearman and the Alpine of Pierre Gasly, a snapshot that has sharpened internal questions about where lap time is hiding.
If there is a bright spot, it sits at the back of the car. Red Bull’s first-year Red Bull Powertrains–Ford unit has drawn praise for hitting the ground running. Button said in the Sky Sports F1 discussion, “You’d actually say that their power unit is more impressive. Start from nothing and build a power unit that’s that competitive. It’s probably performed better than what the car has.” Chandhok agreed that the engine side is not the main drag. “They’re not that far off, I don’t think, in terms of power unit side, but as a package, they do need to move forward,” he said as a Sky Sports F1 commentator in the same segment.
The takeaway is clear from both voices: the engine is doing its job, so the gains must come from the chassis. Red Bull needs to load the car with updates, find balance, and turn that Ford-backed power into points.