Red Bull start issues persist to 2027
Team principal Laurent Mekies confirmed Red Bull's launch performance spans multiple departments and will require major hardware changes for 2027. Small gains are expected this season but a full fix is not.
Start problems exposed again at COTA
Red Bull's launch performance remained below benchmark at the 2026 United States Grand Prix. Isack Hadjar started third but dropped positions on the opening lap. Max Verstappen also lost ground from the front row. Team principal Laurent Mekies described the issue as complex and spread across departments.[1]
Mekies outlines scope of the fix
Mekies stated the weakness involves the engine, gearbox and clutch. He noted it affects multiple areas of the team, excluding aerodynamics. The team has reduced the gap through the season but remains short of the leaders in launch performance.[2]
Hardware changes pushed to 2027
Mekies expressed confidence in further incremental gains before the end of 2026. He added that becoming the benchmark requires significant design and hardware changes. Those changes will arrive only in the following season.[1]
Related reading
- [1]Red Bull admits frustrating F1 problem will not be fully fixed until 2027 (motorsport). Accessed 2026-10-26.
- [2]Red Bull says full start fix must wait until 2027 (grandprix). Accessed 2026-10-26.
- [3]Why US GP has left Verstappen and Hadjar furious with Red Bull (therace). Accessed 2026-10-26.