FIA confirm Red Bull F1 changes as Max Verstappen frustration boils over at Japanese Grand Prix

Max Verstappen looks down with a background of a Japanese flag — Photo: © IMAGO

Japanese Grand Prix

FIA confirm Red Bull F1 changes as Max Verstappen frustration boils over at Japanese Grand Prix

The FIA have confirmed changes at Red Bull

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Friday 27 March 2026 08:52 Updated: 09:51

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The FIA have confirmed the upgrades that Red Bull have brought to the F1 Japanese Grand Prix, as Max Verstappen's frustrations become clear to see.

F1 heads to the Suzuka International Circuit this weekend for the third round of the 2026 season, with Verstappen already 43 points behind early drivers' championship leader George Russell.

Red Bull have struggled with both reliability issues and a lack of performance compared to their rivals Ferrari and Mercedes at both the opening rounds of the 2026 championship.

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Verstappen had to retire from the Chinese Grand Prix after an ERS issue, while his team-mate Isack Hadjar suffered an engine blow out in Australia as the team try to get used to their new era of power unit production.

All of this has led to a frustrated Verstappen in the early weeks of the season, with the four-time world champion regularly slamming the new F1 regulations, calling them a 'joke' at the Chinese GP last time out.

During media day in Japan, the Dutchman even exiled a journalist from his Red Bull media session reigniting a feud over a question that he had asked at last year's Abu Dhabi GP.

Now, as the team try and turn things around for Verstappen, they have brought a plethora of upgrades to the Japanese GP, as confirmed by an official FIA document.

The Milton Keynes-based outfit have brought a new sidepod inlet design which they hope will improve flow conditioning and increase efficiency and performance, while the engine cover and floor have had to be altered to fit that new sidepod inlet.

On top of this, the team have also made minor changes to the rear wheel bodywork, which they say is because of the braking energy demands at the Suzuka International Circuit.

Pressure building on Verstappen

Red Bull did not have the fastest car during the 2025 season, and the inability of Verstappen's old team-mate Yuki Tsunoda to score more than 30 points across 22 race weekends showed just how poor the RB21 was.

Yet Verstappen's incredible performances meant that he managed to claim eight grand prix wins - more than any other driver on the grid - and he came within just two points of a fifth consecutive title.

But in 2026, not even the Dutchman has been able to turn the RB22 into a podium-challenging machine so far.

In China, Verstappen was over a lap behind the leaders before he had to retire from the race, while a few mistakes have crept into his driving, most dramatically at the Australian GP when he crashed out in Q1.

Not even his racing ventures outside of F1 are bringing him improved luck in 2026. Last weekend, Verstappen raced in an NLS race at the Nurburgring Nordschleife, and despite him and his team winning the race on-track, they were disqualified hours later for exceeding the maximum tyre usage.

F1 RESULTS: Japanese Grand Prix practice times and positions