Naomi Schiff Voices Concern Over Red Bull's Narrow F1 Car Setup After US GP Issues

Broadcaster Naomi Schiff has expressed worries about Red Bull's limited operating range in their 2026 Formula 1 car, suggesting it might be affecting drivers Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar.

At the recent United States Grand Prix, both drivers faced early setbacks. Hadjar experienced a launch problem leading him to request a clutch redesign, while Verstappen encountered an electrical deployment failure at Turn 1, forcing him into a tough race against the Ferraris.

"It was such a shame that they both didn't get off the line there because it was a battle we were looking forward to between Max and Kimi, but then also Isack being in there could have really caused a little bit of an upset and potentially, who knows, clinched his first victory in Formula 1," Schiff reflected.

She added that the issues at the race start reveal broader difficulties with the car's setup.

"That Red Bull this whole weekend, it just feels like there's, besides the clutch, a lot that needs to be looked at. It feels like there's really not a very big operational window that works with that car, and that it's really on a knife's edge, as it has been for a number of years now."

Schiff suggested the team was focused more on damage control from the beginning of the race.

"I guess it was more of a damage limitation race for them from the get-go today. And Max admitting at the end that maybe the strategy call that they had from the beginning wasn't right."

She also mentioned Verstappen’s frustration with the race strategy.

"We heard him over the radio being pretty passionate as well about them sending him back out into dirty air and maybe not optimising the strategy that they ended up having to go with. But that car just doesn't seem to be very easy to drive for either of those drivers at the moment."