Max Verstappen concerned about the ride quality of his RB22 in Monaco Grand Prix

While other teams, Mercedes mainly, struggled with ride quality in the previous Formula 1 era of ground effect due to porpoising, Red Bull Racing mastered it, but their RB22 appears to be bad in that respect. It doesn't porpoise but extracting performance from it requires a harsh ride.

And while Verstappen struggled in the Canadian Grand Prix, he is wary of a more difficult challenge in Monaco, which is known for its bumpy track and slow corners with the need to have a car that rides the kerbs well, not to mention that Red Bull Racing have struggled at the principality in recent years.

Discussing Monaco, Verstappen said: “Anywhere that it’s bumpy is going to be difficult for us. That has to do with the philosophy of our car at the moment, how you set it up to take the bumps versus the amount of downforce.

“It’s not quite optimal yet. It was a bit better in Miami, but of course it wasn’t so bumpy there. That makes it easier for us to find the right set-up.”

When asked about his expectations for Monaco, the four-time F1 Champion joked: “Oh yes, that is going to be great. I think I’m going to order a new back!

“If only we knew exactly what was causing it. I do have some ideas, and that’s what we’re going to work on now,” Verstappen, who revealed he disagreed with Red Bull Racing's setup direction in Canada, concluded.

However, Red Bull Racing boss Laurent Mekies did not seem concerned about the issue while insisting performance remains a priority.

“There is nothing yet that we are seeing that cannot be fixed in 2026," the Frenchman commented. “You know, the guys are doing all the analysis in the world back at the factory to try to come up with a solution that not only fixes the issues, but fixes the issues by bringing lap time.

“Because it will probably be quite easy to fix the issues but make the car slower. So you want to fix the issues and bring lap time. It's a complex issue.

“We love complex issues," Mekies stated. "We have plenty of them, and I have every confidence that in the same way that we have cracked quite fundamental issues since the beginning of the season, we will be managing to do a few more.”

Red Bull Racing struggled early on in 2026, and while their first-ever power unit seems on par with Mercedes', the chassis of their RB22 is still lacking despite a major upgrade in Miami improving its performance. (Quotes: Motorsport.com)