MAX VERSTAPPEN PINPOINTS TWO RECURRING RED BULL PROBLEMS: "WE SHOULD USE SIGN LANGUAGE!"

Verstappen dragged a sixth straight podium out of Red Bull's RB22 in Austin, but the result masked a race riddled with self-inflicted wounds. The team misjudged tire strategy completely, clinging to recent form that favored softer compounds when COTA demanded the opposite. Power unit behavior oscillated corner to corner, killing any rhythm. A slow stop added insult.

Worse are the season-long maladies. Red Bull's starts remain what Verstappen calls "consistently shit" — he didn't lose a spot in Austin only because normal now means reliably poor. Radio failures struck again at the bumpy Texas circuit, leaving Verstappen unable to hear stand-in race engineer Tom Hart. "Maybe we should just start communicating in sign language," he deadpanned. "It's probably cheaper."

The RB22 had pace to challenge Antonelli's Mercedes. Red Bull fumbled the execution. Mexico and Brazil will test whether they can stop the bleeding before the championship math tightens.