Danner believes the team’s recent inconsistency could signal deeper problems that may carry over into Formula 1’s new era in 2026.

The former F1 driver told Ran he is concerned by the aggressive performance shifts in Red Bull’s performance.

Whereas some weekends the Austrian racing outfit seemed capable of fighting and even managing to defeat the overall quicker Mclaren’s, their form would then experience a decay that ruled them out of even a podium finish, with their most recent outing in Hungary resulting in the most troubling weekend of the entire 2025 season by far.

‘Something is fundamentally wrong at Red Bull’

“If you don’t know why you’re good today and catastrophic tomorrow, then something fundamental is wrong,” Danner explained.

“That’s precisely what makes the situation so precarious.

“Because if this mistake is structural in nature, it could repeat itself in the new car in 2026,” he explained.

Red Bull has already admitted the challenge of balancing its current car development with preparations for the upcoming regulation change, where the sport will introduce active aerodynamics and a 50-50 hybrid power split.

As the team also takes on its first in-house engine project with partner Ford, whom have also revealed their involvement in the partnership has become deeper than it was ever expected.

For Verstappen, who has been the dominant force of the current generation, Danner’s warning is clear:

If Red Bull cannot solve its inconsistencies now, the “catastrophes” experienced this season might sleep into 2026 once the new rules come into play.