Max Verstappen heads into the United States Grand Prix seeking a third consecutive victory after wins in Malaysia and Singapore, with Red Bull's recent upgrades helping address problems that troubled the RB22 earlier in the season.
The improvements have come without additional power unit development allowances under Formula One's ADUO system.
Earlier in the season, Red Bull struggled with the RB22's balance, particularly in finding a compromise between low-speed traction and high-speed stability. Adjusting the car to improve one area often came at the expense of another.
Red Bull technical director Pierre Waché explained the difficulty of balancing the car:
"Because when we tried to rebalance the car before, it was a little bit on the edge. When you tried to rebalance high speed, then low speed was struggling, or vice versa," he told↗︎ RacingNews365.
The team introduced upgrades in Miami and Austria before bringing a further package to Baku, which included revisions to the floor, diffuser and sidepods.
"The main positive aspect is that we brought a strong upgrade in Miami, Austria and Baku, with a clear step forward in terms of improvements to achieve our goals, in terms of car behaviour and overall performance," he said.
Verstappen finds confidence
The upgrades have coincided with a stronger run of results for Verstappen.
Earlier in the season, Verstappen had several difficult moments, including an early Q1 exit in Australia and an off-track moment at Silverstone while running in a podium position.
The incidents highlighted the difficulties Verstappen faced in the car, raising doubts over his future with the team. Additionally, Red Bull struggled to match its rivals during the early parts of the season, with Mercedes particularly strong.
The Dutchman has since reaffirmed his commitment to Red Bull by signing a contract extension through to the end of 2030.
Verstappen has also finished on the podium in eight of his last 10 races, highlighting Red Bull's progress. Waché said the RB22 was now “a lot more connected” to the driver, although he acknowledged that the team has more work to do.
"It's clearly not there yet. But Max likes the car now. If you ask him, he will not say the car is perfect. But I think with these regulations, it's a difficult problem, and I think we still have room to improve," Waché said.
Red Bull will hope to extend its winning run at COTA, where Verstappen is targeting a fifth victory. However, Waché's comments suggest the team still has some work to do to unlock the RB22's full potential.
