What happened: Max Verstappen has complained for years about a handling defect that worsens over the course of a session or race. The four-time world champion described the RB22 as a 'car made of paper' during qualifying at Monza, prompting Red Bull to acknowledge the long-term timeline for a resolution.

Why it matters: The admission highlights ongoing structural limitations within the current generation of Red Bull machinery as the team navigates the 2026 championship. The inability to deploy an immediate fix suggests the underlying characteristic is deeply baked into the organization's design philosophy.

What to watch: The team will have to manage the defect through setup compromises for the remainder of the calendar.