According to Red Bull’s technical director, Pierre Waché, the upgraded RB22 package signals a good recovery ahead of the 2026 F1 Canadian GP. Designed to combat the issues of the Milton Keynes squad’s challenger, the Miami upgrades delivered immediate on-track progress and boosted its drivers’ confidence for the upcoming races.
Encouraging upgrades ahead of Canada and the European leg of the 2026 F1 season
Though Red Bull suffered from poor performance, a stark contrast to their dominant form in previous seasons, the Milton Keynes-based squad found itself stuck in the midfield despite hoping to fight at the front.
The team had a difficult time adapting to the new 2026 regulations, particularly with their new power unit. Prior to Miami, Red Bull had been unable to fight for podium finishes. Nevertheless, the team introduced a massive upgrade package for the RB22 during the long break between the Japanese and Miami Grands Prix.
This intense update consisted of seven fundamental changes, including a new rotating rear wing design intended for active aerodynamics, known as the “Macarena wing,” revised sidepods, modified front wing and corner inlets, an updated floor and engine cover, and a significant weight reduction.
Despite missing out on the podium, Max Verstappen secured a fifth-place finish in Miami with the updated RB22, marking Red Bull’s best result of the 2026 season so far.
Pierre Waché called the package “encouraging,” stating that Miami was a clear step forward and expressing hope for another positive weekend in Canada. However, Waché also noted that while the upgrades successfully addressed key weak areas and translated well from simulations to the track, the weekend also served to reveal remaining weaknesses and areas where they must improve to extract overall performance.
“Miami saw us take a clear step forward, with the upgrade package delivering encouraging gains in performance and helping address some key areas on the car. It highlighted some car weaknesses and room of improvement to extract the overall performance.
“Canada will be another good test of the package alongside some minor updates this weekend.
“It has been a positive boost for the Team to see the progress translating on track after a lot of hard work behind the scenes, and we expect car development to be made as we head into the European races.”
Hadjar excited to go for more towards the 2026 F1 Canadian GP
As Waché noted in the press release, one of the key benefits of the upgrades was boosting the team’s morale for future races.
Perhaps Isack Hadjar needed this confidence boost the most within the team. Prior to the 2026 F1 Canadian GP weekend, his race results were a DNF in Australia, eighth in China, twelfth in Japan, and another DNF in Miami, respectively.
Following the upgrades introduced in Miami, the Frenchman expressed his excitement to return for the 2026 F1 Canadian GP and drive the updated RB22 package.
“Ever since Miami, I’ve been raring to get back into the car and go racing again.
“The Team delivered a much stronger package after the break and we want to continue with that progress going into Montreal. It’s another Sprint weekend, so there are lots of opportunities to perform and score points.”
