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Max Verstappen faces relentless engine issues: is Red Bull’s new powertrain a curse?

James Taylor by James Taylor
March 14, 2026
in Motorsports
Reading Time: 3 mins read
0

SHANGHAI, CHINA - MARCH 14: Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing and Laurent Mekies, Team Principal of Oracle Red Bull Racing talk in the garage during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of China at Shanghai International Circuit on March 14, 2026 in Shanghai, China. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool // SI202603140337 // Usage for editorial use only //

Max Verstappen's Nightmarish Gearshift Hell: Red Bull's Engine Woes Exposed!

In a shocking revelation that has sent shockwaves through the Formula 1 community, Max Verstappen's performance at the Chinese Grand Prix has been marred by a catastrophic problem that has plagued him for years—gearshift issues exacerbated by Red Bull's new in-house engine. The reigning world champion, who has dominated the sport, now finds himself grappling with a car he describes as “uncontrollable,” facing a weekend that has spiraled out of control.

Despite the high stakes, Verstappen's struggles were apparent as he limped through qualifying, landing in a dismal eighth place, trailing behind Alpine's Pierre Gasly. The Sprint race was equally disastrous; Verstappen finished a shocking ninth, failing to score any points after a major set-up change before qualifying turned out to be a futile effort. The four-time champion dropped to the back of the grid at P20 right off the line, leaving fans and analysts alike questioning what has gone wrong with the RB22.

Bernie Collins, a former strategist turned pundit, has shed light on Verstappen's long-standing grievances with gearshifts, suggesting that the RBPT-Ford engine has only intensified the issue. “Verstappen in that Red Bull has been complaining about gear shifts for a number of years now,” Collins revealed in an explosive interview with Sky Sports F1. “All through last year, we heard him complain about downshifts and upshifts, and it was unbalancing the car. This isn’t a new dilemma—it’s worse with this engine, and it dramatically impacts the car’s balance.”

But the drama doesn’t end there. 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve weighed in on the situation, asserting that Verstappen is currently unable to drive the car to its full potential, further complicating the set-up issues. “The car is unpredictable. Last year, even when the car was slow, there was some sort of balance,” Villeneuve stated emphatically. “He could drive the car; it was responding to him. Now, however, it seems he’s merely reacting to the car, and that’s a deadly game in F1.”

As Verstappen grapples with the unpredictable behavior of his car, the rear end kicks out in a troubling manner, leading to a frustrating experience behind the wheel. “It doesn’t mean he has oversteer; it could still be an understeer-y car, but at some point, the rear kicks around,” Villeneuve elaborated. “When it’s like this, it’s nearly impossible to set the car up properly, and losing even a tenth of a second could mean the difference between victory and defeat.”

With tensions escalating and the stakes higher than ever, Verstappen’s ongoing battle with his gearshift woes raises serious questions about Red Bull's engineering decisions. Will the team be able to rectify these glaring issues before it’s too late? As fans and critics alike watch this saga unfold, one thing is clear: the road ahead for Max Verstappen is fraught with challenges, and it’s a race against time to regain his grip on the championship.

Tags: formula-1-enmax-verstappen-enRed Bull Racing
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