Steiner: Verstappen’s frustration helped Red Bull work harder

Former Haas team principal Günther Steiner believes Max Verstappen’s repeated expressions of frustration helped Red Bull work harder during its recovery in the 2026 Formula 1 season. He made the assessment on the Chequered Flag podcast.

The RB22’s performance made the first half of 2026 difficult for Red Bull. As more updates arrived, the team began moving forward. The turnaround brought Verstappen two wins, and he featured increasingly often near the front in recent races.

Steiner said Red Bull faced criticism early in the 2026 season because it was no longer performing at the level people had come to expect. The team fought back step by step, he said, and had done good work given where it started.

He left open whether frustration was the right way to address problems, noting that there were multiple approaches. With the four leading teams so closely matched, Steiner said, it was difficult to know which would be quickest at any given circuit.