Verstappen and Hadjar want Red Bull to experiment before 2027

Both Red Bull drivers see the remaining 2026 races as a chance to learn, while Verstappen says the car and power unit need a much bigger step for 2027.

GPBeat · Newsroom02 Oct 2026, 13:24 · 1 min

In comments reported by Ronald Vording for Autosport on 2 October 2026, Max Verstappen said the different circuits still to come could help Red Bull work out what it needs from its 2027 car. He described the remaining races as a learning opportunity because, in his view, the team is no longer fighting for this year’s championship. Recent weekends had been better than the start of the season, he added.

Asked by Autosport about Red Bull’s main aim for the rest of 2026, Isack Hadjar also focused on learning. He urged the team to try things and “make all the mistakes now” so it can start 2027 better prepared. Hadjar described that approach as the team’s target and spirit.

Verstappen called Red Bull’s Baku upgrade a decent step, but said competing in 2027 would require much greater progress with both the car and power unit. Hadjar said the drivers were largely aligned on the structural changes they wanted, without specifying what those changes were.

Source context

Autosport’s report of 2 October 2026 covers both drivers’ remarks but gives no details of their proposed structural changes to the car.

Claims and supporting evidence 5

Ronald Vording’s Autosport article, published on 2 October 2026, reports remarks from Red Bull drivers Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar. It says Autosport put its question about the remainder of the season directly to Hadjar.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Attribution and provenance 2 October 2026 Only this Autosport account is supplied; the remarks are not independently corroborated by another read publication.

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Verstappen said racing on different kinds of circuits should help Red Bull learn what it needs and wants for its 2027 car. He described the remaining races as a learning opportunity because, in his assessment, the team is not fighting for the 2026 championship.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Verstappen’s view of the remaining races Remaining races of 2026, with preparation for 2027 This records Verstappen’s assessment and expectation, not a measured improvement or a formal team decision.

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Hadjar urged Red Bull to try things and make mistakes during the remaining 2026 races so it can learn ahead of 2027. He said that was the team’s target and spirit, but the account does not establish a detailed testing plan or guarantee that the approach will succeed.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Hadjar’s view of experimentation Remaining races of 2026, with preparation for 2027 The ‘make all the mistakes now’ formulation is Hadjar’s; it should not be presented as a quotation jointly spoken by both drivers.

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Autosport says seven or eight Formula 1 weekends remained in 2026, depending on the situation in the Middle East. Hadjar spoke in terms of eight races; that figure is his stated expectation, not an unconditional calendar count.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Remaining-weekend count As reported on 2 October 2026 The supplied article does not resolve the Middle East contingency.

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Verstappen called Red Bull’s Baku upgrade a decent step but said competing in 2027 would require a much bigger step in both car and power unit. Asked about power-unit restrictions without an ADUO token, he said fine-tuning remained possible. Hadjar said he and Verstappen were mostly aligned on the structural changes they had in mind.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Scale of the changes the drivers envisage Assessment of the 2026 car and preparation for 2027 The drivers do not specify those structural changes here; these are assessments and intentions, not achieved 2027 performance.

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This article was produced with AI assistance. Source references make its supporting evidence traceable.