Max Verstappen has joked that his Red Bull F1 team may have to sacrifice their food if they want to get back to winning ways.
Red Bull have struggled so far in 2026, with Verstappen unable to claim a single grand prix victory as of yet, and looking a long way off any potential fight for a fifth title.
His team are fourth in the constructors’ championship, and at many race weekends this year he has found himself in a battle with the likes of Pierre Gasly and Oliver Bearman, rather than the Ferrari or Mercedes drivers.
Now, Verstappen has joked that if the team want to bring upgrades, they may have to sacrifice their catering department, due to the budget cap in the sport which incorporates all sorts of costs that the teams lay out.
“Is that possible with the budget cap? Yes, of course,” Verstappen told media following Austrian GP qualifying. “Then we’ll just have to spend a little less on catering!”
Red Bull brought some upgrades to this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix, but that has not worked out quite how they would have wanted it to.
They have taken quite a radical approach to their development, and Verstappen will be buoyed to know that he is driving the car that has the best power unit on the grid, according to the FIA’s recent ADUO ruling.
But a driver of Verstappen’s talents should not be squabbling over fifth or sixth during grand prix sessions, and the Dutchman may seek to look elsewhere for 2027 unless something massively changes.
Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies has a huge job on his hands to prove to Verstappen that the team can improve enough to allow him to win more grands prix and championships in the future.
