Max Verstappen denies knowing Baku upgrades would improve performance

Max Verstappen denies prior knowledge of Baku performance gains

Max Verstappen signed a two-year extension with Red Bull recently, ahead of his home race. This contract renegotiation follows a recovery period for the team, which sat fourth in the pecking order earlier this year while fighting Haas and Alpine. Verstappen won races in Malaysia and Singapore after a close call with victory in Baku. Earlier, at Zandvoort, he revealed he had considered an early F1 retirement rather than switching teams. The driver denies he knew the Baku upgrade would restore his competitive edge when he signed the new deal. He says he only discussed the future and the team’s direction. "And I liked those ideas. It’s also not that they really needed to convince me or whatever, it’s just the general chat that you have with the team." He notes that fighting at the front provides a "nice bonus" to his work with the squad. The RB22 became more predictable and balanced after the Baku update. In the early stages of the season, Verstappen found it impossible to run the car to its limit because the balance shifted suddenly and he was unsure of what would happen when he entered a corner. He says the improvement in load and lap time is helpful; however, the predictability is what allows him to make a difference within the limitations of the current power unit regulations.

Team leadership focuses on long-term development

Team principal Laurent Mekies dismissed claims that the team used the Baku upgrade to secure Verstappen’s signature. He stated the team did not wait for a "magic upgrade" to achieve performance gains. The team expected the Baku package to be the final upgrade of this year. Mekies noted that the team expected to struggle to close the final three tenths of a second. He also clarified that the upgrade was certainly not an argument of convincing Verstappen during the contract discussions. The extension instead relied on confidence in the technical direction of Pierre Wache’s and Ben Hodgkinson’s departments, specifically regarding the potential of the chassis and the power unit. He added that the team saw the Baku performance as an example of what is possible when all the pieces of the puzzle fall into place.

Verstappen expects further changes for the 2027 car because the current chassis and budget cap limitations prevent consistent front-running performance in 2026. The driver notes the Baku upgrade provided the stability necessary to drive effectively despite the current power unit regulations. Red Bull still faces underlying weaknesses that prevent them from being consistently at the front. The team must address these issues because the current chassis cannot be changed under the budget cap rules.