Verstappen's once scary Red Bull is a winner again, the best rescue job of the year
Max Verstappen says Red Bull's early 2026 car was sometimes scary to drive. It has now won the last two grands prix and the Singapore sprint.
Max Verstappen says the Red Bull he started 2026 with was "sometimes a bit scary to drive". Turning that car into a race winner is the best recovery job on the grid this year.
The results make the point. Verstappen reached the podium only once in the first seven rounds. He has now won the last two grands prix in a row, and he took victory in the sprint race in Singapore last week.
A season that got worse before it got better
The middle of the year was rough. Verstappen spun out of the British Grand Prix and suffered costly spins in qualifying at the Red Bull Ring and the Hungaroring as the team struggled to get on top of the car. RaceFans credits the most recent upgrades with transforming its performance.
Verstappen points to Baku as the turn. "The car definitely felt a lot nicer from Baku onwards," he said. "It's just been a lot more balanced." He qualified only eighth there but was in contention for pole position until a yellow flag compromised his final lap. He then finished a close second behind George Russell, and he has been undefeated since.
Two rescues in two years
This is the second time in as many years that Red Bull have made a breakthrough with a troublesome car in the second half of a season. Verstappen is clear it wasn't the same fix twice. "Two completely different cars as well, with the regulations," he noted. "Also two completely different problems."
"We had to find lap time. Plus, of course, also this year with the engine side of things, I think for everyone it's been sometimes a bit complicated to get the most out of it."
One turnaround can be luck. Two, with different cars and different problems, is a team that knows how to learn. That's proper work, and Red Bull deserve the credit for it.
Next year's car has to start where this one finishes
Verstappen isn't pretending this is a title push. "We're not in a championship fight, and that's why I think 'til the end we'll just try to have a good time and try to add more podiums and hopefully a few wins."
His real focus is beginning next year in better shape. "Of course, we're still not where we want to be, but I guess everyone will say the same thing," he said. "But we have learned so much and definitely also on the car side have fixed a lot of our weaknesses."
That's the right priority. Rescuing a car halfway through a season, twice, is impressive. Not needing to is better. If Red Bull begin next season where they're finishing this one, the rest of the grid has a problem.
