– Four-time world champion Max Verstappen is tempering expectations for the rest of the 2026 Formula 1 season after his bitter retirement at the home race in Zandvoort – and at the same time calls on his team Red Bull to rethink.
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Verstappen said in an interview with Sky: “This year we were on average the fourth fastest team. The weekend in Zandvoort made that very clear again. So we are definitely a bit behind.”
Red Bull naturally wants to “catch up to the front” and be “closer,” Verstappen explained. However, he did not know whether such a turnaround would be possible in the short term. Therefore, and because the end of the season is approaching, “you have to already look to next year,” said Verstappen.
The development scope on the RB22 is limited
According to the Dutchman, there are mainly technical reasons for this: “Certain things on the car can only be changed for next year.” And only these changes promise “really significantly more performance” for Red Bull.
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However, this does not mean that Red Bull will immediately stop development on the current RB22: “We continue to try to get everything possible out of this car, even if the end of the season will not be exactly straightforward. We still try to make the best of it,” said Verstappen.
Max Verstappen’s interim balance 2026
“The best” for Red Bull so far in the 2026 season were individual podiums by Verstappen: He finished second in Spielberg and at the Hungaroring, and third in Montreal and Spa-Francorchamps. On the other hand, there have been various retirements and accidents and currently only sixth place in the Formula 1 drivers’ standings with a 130-point deficit to leader Kimi Antonelli.
Verstappen’s most recent win dates back to last year: He won the Formula 1 season finale in Abu Dhabi – and missed out on the fifth world championship title by just a few points.
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