‘Order a new back’ – Verstappen issues Monaco warning over Red Bull RB22 bouncing issue

Max Verstappen has issued a warning that Red Bull’s RB22 bouncing issue could make the Monaco Grand Prix a painful challenge, joking he may need to “order a new back” to cope with the street circuit.

The world champion still took a podium in Montreal, but was left struggling for comfort in the car as his feet were “flying off the pedals” on the bumpy circuit.

Monaco warning as Max Verstappen fears Red Bull flaw will punish him

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Speaking after Friday’s Sprint qualifying in Canada, Verstappen said he struggled with the car’s ride quality.

“I was struggling a lot with just the ride of the car… I couldn’t put my foot down,” he said. “My feet were even flying off the pedals, so it made it very difficult to be consistent.”

The issue plagued him throughout the weekend, with Verstappen saying the RB22 is competitive on smoother tracks but remains problematic on rougher surfaces.

“Anywhere that it’s bumpy is going to be difficult for us,” he said.

That raises concerns heading into Monaco, where kerbs and surface changes make it one of the most demanding street circuits on the calendar.

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A street circuit, Monaco’s surface is far from smooth, with drivers also needing to ride the kerbs to extract maximum performance.

“Oh yes, that is going to be great,” Verstappen joked. “I think I’m going to order a new back!”

In the wake of the Canadian Grand Prix, Red Bull admitted they are still unsure why the RB22 struggles so much with ride issues.

“If only we knew exactly what was causing it,” Verstappen said. “I do have some ideas, and that’s what we’re going to work on now.”

Team principal Laurent Mekies insisted the problem can be solved, describing it as part of the team’s ongoing development challenge.

“There is nothing yet that we are saying cannot be fixed in ’26,” he said.

He added: “It’s a very difficult game. Max was extremely unhappy with the car, but had a strong race. It’s an invitation to take more risk, to accept the pain, and keep exploring.”

Red Bull is fourth in the Constructors’ Championship on 57 points, 162 points behind Mercedes.

As for Verstappen, he sits seventh in the Drivers’ standings with 43 points, 88 points down on championship leader Kimi Antonelli.

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