Austin qualifying highlights Red Bull’s progress despite driver unease

Red Bull qualified second and third in Austin despite neither driver being particularly happy with the car’s feel. On difficult days in the first half of the 2026 season, the team often slipped to seventh or eighth in qualifying, at the back of the group of four leading teams.

Max Verstappen’s Q2 lap made a third consecutive pole look within reach: on scrubbed tyres, he was faster than some drivers from the other top teams on fresh rubber. In Q3, he finished second; he said he had lost grip and could no longer carry the speed he wanted through the slow corners.

Wind gusts caught many drivers out in the closing minutes of Q3, and only three improved on their second runs. Ferrari’s pace also fell away. Leclerc, like George Russell, pointed to increased cloud cover and a falling track temperature, which pushed the Pirelli tyres slightly outside their ideal operating window. Verstappen said the wind was very bad on his final run but not on his first, leaving him unable to explain why that earlier lap was so disappointing.

Red Bull’s progress has been especially visible in recent weeks, particularly since the Baku upgrade. Verstappen said the car had been much better over the last few weekends. He considered Austin an okay fit, but said Singapore and Malaysia had suited the car better.

On Friday, Verstappen said Red Bull’s recent race pace had been pretty good, although he found it difficult to judge who was fastest. He hoped the car’s setup would be right for Sunday’s race.