SINGAPORE SEVENS | SEVEN DIFFERENT GP WINNERS SINCE 2018 | 🇸🇬

 

SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX 2026 | SPRINT RESULTS

 

MAX VERSTAPPEN WINS THE SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX SPRINT

 

MAX VERSTAPPEN SURVIVED NAIL IN TYRE DURING CHAOTIC DURING CHAOTIC BAHRAIN GP IN MALAYSIA

Max Verstappen won the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia in commanding fashion. But things could have turned out very differently.

Max Verstappen cruised to a dominant victory in the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, but things could have come unstuck thanks to a rogue nail.

Nothing appeared capable of stopping the Red Bull driver throughout the weekend at the Sepang International Circuit, though a sizeable piece of metal made a decent attempt at it.

The race was thrown into disarray after a botched start procedure forced drivers to be called back into the pits, with software updates required to eradicate a "bug" that caused the farcicial scenes on the initial formation lap.

And as Verstappen trundled down the pit lane behind the safety car, he picked up a nail in one of his tyres.

Once he had brought the RB22 to a halt, Verstappen radioed his team to report the issue.

"There's a nail in my tyre," the four-time F1 drivers' champion said.

Race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase immediately asked whether it was the front-left.

"Front-left," the 72-time grand prix winner confirmed.

The mechanics waiting trackside with cooling equipment had already spotted the nail themselves, given it was hardly difficult to miss.

Rules working in Verstappen's favour

The mechanics waiting trackside with cooling equipment had already spotted the nail themselves, given it was hardly difficult to miss.

With the regulations allowing for tyre changes during a red-flag neutralisation, a potentially disastrous scenario was negated.

Verstappen opted for a fresh, nail-free set of intermediates, while some of his rivals, less fortunately, went straight onto slick tyres for the restart.

A further safety car period then gave Verstappen the chance to switch from intermediates to slicks along with everyone else, setting him up for this comfortable victory.

- RN365 Staff

BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX IN MALAYSIA 2026 | FIA PRESS CONFERENCE

Max Verstappen secured his first victory of the season with victory at the Sepang circuit. Lillian Suwanrumpha / AFP / Getty Images

1 – Max VERSTAPPEN (Red Bull Racing)

2 – Kimi ANTONELLI (Mercedes)

3 – Lewis HAMILTON (Ferrari)

TRACK INTERVIEWS

(Conducted by David Coulthard)

Q: Max Verstappen, it’s your 72nd victory and I suspect your sweetest.

Max VERSTAPPEN: It’s a really nice one, you know, after the year that we’ve had and the progression that we’ve made. So, yeah, I’m incredibly proud of everyone and it’s just super nice to win here.

Q: What a complicated race to unpack. You had to be one of the few who made the decision to start on the intermediates. You didn’t get off the line well. Mercedes at that point were looking strong. Put us in the cockpit, take us on that journey back to winning this Grand Prix.

MV: Yeah, it was very hectic with a lot of different things. In the start, no power, so you have to wait for the power to kick in. But then, yeah, we made the right call with the intermediates and after that, step by step, we moved our way forward. From there onwards, we could do our own race until the end, again, of course, with a Safety Car, but we kept it all under control.

Q: Kimi, coming to you. You battled hard. There were many opportunities there, but in the end, Max just had a little bit more pace. But you must be satisfied with that second place?

Kimi ANTONELLI: Yeah, I mean, I think today was the maximum we could have done. Of course, massive congrats to Max and Red Bull for the incredible weekend. On our side, a lot of work to do. Of course, we’ve been struggling a bit more than usual, but still really happy to come away with P2.

Q: Your first experience of this Malaysian track. Obviously, we’re here celebrating the Bahrain Grand Prix. You enjoyed it?

KA: Yeah, it was amazing and the fans were incredible this weekend, so thank you so much. And hopefully we’ll come back in the future to Malaysia.

Q: Thank you, Kimi. Lewis, perfect example of never giving up. You were a minute behind at one point and you fought through, and this must be a proud third place for you.

Lewis HAMILTON: Yeah, well, thank you, guys. Big congratulations to Max. What a tough race that was. Obviously, we had the wrong call at the beginning, which was so difficult, and I could see everyone just pulling away. And as I could see on the screen, it was a minute down, and I thought that was kind of race over for us. But I just kept my head down. The guys did a great job with the pit stops. Obviously, lots of tyre changes, lots of chasing, and honestly, of all the years I’ve been here, this is the best race we’ve had here, but particularly because of this crowd. So, big thank you, everyone.

Q: Well, congratulations, Lewis. Max, coming back to you. This is a historical moment for the Red Bull Racing team. A few years ago, the late Mr Mateschitz and, of course, his partner Mr Yoovidhya decided to build their own powertrain. You’ve now delivered their first victory.

Max VERSTAPPEN: It’s incredible. I think already, of course, we started, but also to win our first race in our first year with our own power unit is pretty impressive.

PRESS CONFERENCE

Q: Welcome to the post-race press conference for the FIA Formula 1 Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia. We have today’s race winner in the centre, Max Verstappen; on the left, in second place, Kimi Antonelli; and on the right, completing the podium, Lewis Hamilton. Max, I’ll start with you. Huge congratulations. Your 72nd win for Red Bull and the first for the Red Bull powertrain, but you’ve had to wait 309 days for this. Tell me how this win feels today.

MV: Yeah, of course, very special for us. I mean, we had a very complicated and tough start to the year with all sorts of problems and just not being competitive enough. But throughout the year, the team has been working very hard to understand our issues and bring good performance upgrades to the car and make it more driveable. Step by step, we’ve been getting closer and closer, and today, and of course especially this whole weekend, we’ve been really in good form. So, yeah, it’s amazing. I mean, the race, of course, was quite complicated. It was not made easy for us in terms of all the calls that we had to make and then the Safety Car at the end, but we kept cool and we made all the right calls with the tyres. So, yeah, very, very enjoyable to win here and also have our first victory for our own engine. I mean, it’s an incredible project with a lot of partners and a lot of people that are dedicated to be where we are now. So, yeah, fantastic feeling.

Q: What was going through your mind at the start when the two Mercedes appeared either side of you and went ahead?

MV: I mean, I was not surprised because my start was horrendous. Again, dropping the clutch and not having power. The engine just completely died on me. But then you just have to settle in, try not to overreact as well, and just slot in, try to keep your position there. The race is long, a lot of things can happen and, step by step, I could close the gap. And then I had quite a, I think, quite a nice battle on the slicks with Kimi. It’s quite slippery in some phases of the corner, but, yeah, it was nice.

Q: If I can move to you now, Kimi. Congratulations. Not the win, but you have extended your lead in the championship today to 84 points. You had a fantastic start, you got into the lead, but ultimately was it just that the Red Bulls had too much pace for you today? Was there anything else out there for you?

KA: Yeah, I think, you know, Max has been very, very quick all weekend. Red Bull, they’ve been doing a great job, and we’ve just been struggling more than previous races. I think we’re still trying to understand the new package because also this track, with such a rough tarmac and high temperatures, it made our life more difficult. And probably next week in Singapore, we hopefully will have a better read on the package and also understanding what set-up needs to be run. But I think today, with the pace we had, P2 was the maximum we could have achieved.

Q: I’m going to ask you about the upgrade. Do you think, then, the surface here has masked the potential of it? Does the team understand whether it’s a step forward or a step back?

KA: That’s the question we need to answer because we don’t really know if it made us go faster or worse. Fair to say, this season, whenever we went on really old tarmacs, we’ve struggled. For example, Zandvoort, McLaren was much quicker than us, especially on the older tarmac. So I think maybe it’s just a question, maybe it’s just a fact that the tarmac is just very old and that for the tyres it’s very, very hard, and maybe we just struggle on this kind of tarmac. But, of course, the track and the tarmac made our life difficult in understanding whether it made us improve or not. But I’m sure the team, you know, they have a lot of data, especially after this weekend, and I’m sure for Singapore we will come with a much, much better view on the package and hopefully we can extract the full potential out of it.

Q: Thank you, Kimi. Lewis, what a race. Running 17th and a minute down at one point, but 29 laps on the soft saved yourself a pit stop, essentially. Can you take us inside your helmet at the start of the race, where you were on the slicks and the others weren’t around you, and then the mentality you used to get yourself back into that race and ultimately be sitting here?

LH: Yeah, well, firstly, big, big congrats to Max today. They’ve done a really great job in improving through this year. And I think for us, we were having a good weekend. The car felt great in qualifying. It felt amazing to get to second, and I really, really, really... Me and my engineers were here till, like, 11:30 last night just going over everything, and I really, really felt today was the opportunity to have at least a good battle with Max. But then, obviously, the rain came, the big panic with everyone when we all lost power. And particularly, my power didn’t come back and I had to stop on track and restart the car. And then we all ended up in the pit lane. Thankfully, we all got back to our positions, but then after that there was such a long wait and we were debating on what tyre to go on to. And I said, “Look, there was a lot of spray on the laps to the grid.” And I went into the pit lane, I looked at the ground, I was like, “It’s still wet.” I went to the pit wall and I was like, “It’s still wet.” And they’re like, “Yeah, but because it’s been so long, it’s definitely going to dry up real quick and maybe we’re already in the crossover.” So, anyways, as a team, we ended up taking that soft and when we were at the end of the pit lane and these two took off their blankets and they’re on inters, we were in trouble. And as we pulled out, all the spray came out the back of Max’s car and I was like, “Okay, I’m done. My race is really in trouble.” So, I mean, he didn’t make it around on the formation lap, so then we just had to stick with it. Like, we’ve made the decision and live with it. And I think then, through that, as everyone’s overtaken me, they’re like, “We stop,” because I know we’ve already made another 26 seconds. What’s the difference from that with one minute 40 or whatever I was down? So I was just, “Let’s just wait it out for the track to dry.” And once it did, it felt good that I was catching people. The car felt great then after that. Really good pit stops from my guys in the garage and then good strategy. But for us to get back to the podium, I never thought that that was going to be the case. But, of course, I’m really, really grateful that we managed to get back here.

Q: We heard you on the radio saying, “No, let’s take the gamble.” Fighting spirit from you there. What was possible today and what will you be saying in the debrief to help the team move forward and so that the decisions are correct in future?

LH: Yeah, not going to go to the casino with the guys.

Q: You have an open dialogue, you feel?

LH: Yeah, of course. Yeah, we’ll definitely have an open dialogue. And, you know, I’m really so proud of my team. The mechanics every weekend, just the work they’re putting in, the engineers that accompany here every weekend, the catering, everyone really, really comes and gives it their best. Their heart’s all in the right spot. We’ve definitely got areas that we need to improve and we know that, and we’re not in any denial of that. So I think we’ll have a constructive chat, we’ll regroup, we’ll take the positives from this weekend, which the car was really good, and we’ll come back next week fighting. I thought today, as I said, was a chance for us potentially to try and fight Max for the win, but maybe we can do that next week.

QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

Q: (Luke Smith – The Athletic) For Max and for Lewis. Lewis, you already referenced the big panic you felt when you couldn’t feel any power. Could you just talk through what happened in those moments? And how concerning is it for F1, with these very complicated engines, the first bit of rain and we’ve ended up in a situation like this?

MV: That’s the problem that we have. You know, these engines are so complicated and a lot of software is implemented. And, yeah, when there’s like some kind of... I want to call it... That’s the problem. And, yeah, I triggered it first and then I look in my mirror, I just see... I was like, “Wait, are they waiting for me or what’s going...?” It was like the Lego race.

LH: Yeah, we had the same speed.

MV: Same speed. Yeah, it was insane. Like, it’s the Lego power. At some point we were five-wide on the straight because we couldn’t understand what was going on. Then we did a lap and then I see eight other cars crawling still, and I saw you by yourself crawling.

LH: Well, I had to stop on track and stop the car and engine and restart it. I’ve never done that before.

MV: Yeah, what can you say? I mean, that’s not what you want, right, for the sport.

LH: Yeah, I hope there is a lesson learned.

Q: (Laurine Slingerland - NU.nl) A question for Max. Congrats, first, on the win. We saw your father got emotional and I was wondering if you got emotional as well, and what this win means for you also as a family?

MV: Yeah, I mean, we’re all very much invested in it. And, of course, you know, my relationship with my dad, we really understand each other well from all the years that we have spent together working towards our goal in Formula 1. So he’s still there in the background. He’s not coming every race, but when he is there, we talk a lot about everything. He knows everything. And, yeah, also for him, I guess the beginning of the season was not nice to watch, as for me being in the car was not nice to drive. But then seeing how the team progressed and basically never really stopped working and really took the car and just really tried to fix the issues that we had, and then deliver something like this, it’s amazing. And also with the people involved, honestly, the spirit in the team is very good. Everyone is on the same line and we really understand each other well. So it’s very enjoyable to work in the team and that’s why I think also everyone is super happy that we finally delivered a result like this.

Q: (Ajit Devadason - The New Indian Express) It’s a question for Kimi. Kimi, today you finished a couple of seconds behind Max and a couple of seconds ahead of Lewis. You’re racing alongside two drivers who represent very different generations of greatness. How much are you consciously learning from watching Max’s ability to manage a race and Lewis’ experience to never, ever give up? And do you feel that guidance is already influencing the driver and champion that you’re becoming?

KA: That’s a good question. Yeah, I think, you know, it’s always great to, first of all, be able to share the track, especially, you know, in this case with Max and Lewis, because they’re definitely rewriting... Well, Lewis basically did the history of the sport and Max is doing the same. So I think, on my side, I try to learn as much as possible whenever I drive closely to them. Today was a really good showcase of how Max handled the restart on slick tyres and the slippery track. He just knew much better how to position the car and had a better feeling for the grip in those first two corners and overtook me. So, of course, that was really good. Even though it was not nice to get overtaken, I was very annoyed with that, it was still a good way to learn from that and to use it in the future. And then, of course, with Lewis, I think we’ve seen many, many times, many years, that even when things go badly, he always keeps his head down and tries to do his best to achieve the best result possible.

Q: (Phil Duncan – PA) Sorry about that. On the restart, after the restart, to Max and to Lewis. There was a long delay after the initial start was suspended. Were you guys told why there was that delay? Because the track was basically dry when we got racing again. Was it to do with the weather or something else?

MV: Well, I mean, Lewis probably tends to disagree that it was dry.

LH: No, but it was because they had to update the software and then you have to load it into the car. I guess some had some faster laptops than others.

MV: Yeah, that was the delay, just getting the software transferred, I guess, for everyone.

Q: Is that a bit crazy, that there’s almost an hour delay because software needs to be updated to the cars? This is supposed to be the pinnacle of motor racing.

MV: Yeah, you know, we’re partnered with Oracle, so we have very, very fast connection. So we were there, you know, we were waiting for half an hour. So maybe some others had a bit of a slower connection.

Q: Max, could you just explain for us what was going on in the car when you guys were having that issue? Because if you’re off throttle too long in these cars, they don’t like it. I mean, this is the new generation, isn’t it?

MV: Yeah, there was nothing going on. That was the problem. It was just like driving at, what, 35 kilometres, going uphill, actually losing speed. So, yeah, I don’t know exactly, because when you go too low in speed and too low RPM, for whatever reason, then it just bogs down. And normally it takes one or two seconds and it comes back. That’s basically also what I had in the start. But somehow that didn’t trigger in the first software round, and then in the second software round it was a bit better, luckily. Otherwise, I think I would’ve been stuck as well in the start, which I had probably a few times in the beginning of the year as well when I had a poor start, but it meant that I was lost. So at least now it was a bit better.

- FIA

'TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE': F1 DRIVERS SLAM FARCICAL BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX IN MALAYSIA

LAT Images

"Horrible," "sad," and "totally unacceptable" were among the reactions of Formula 1's drivers to the sport's farcical attempt at going racing in wet conditions at Sunday's Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia.

A deluge of rain as the cars arrived on the grid resulted in the start of the race being delayed by 40 minutes before the first attempt was made to get racing underway behind a Safety Car.

But before the cars could complete a single lap behind the Safety Car, a bug in the software supplied to all teams by the FIA resulted in multiple drivers losing power and dropping down the order.

Initially Max Verstappen, who was set to start from pole position, lost power, before Lewis Hamilton, who was alongside him on the front row of the grid, ground to a halt and had to restart his Ferrari's power unit on the pit straight.

The FIA later said that "an unprecedented combination of low engine speed, low-grip conditions, wet-weather energy management settings and the Sepang circuit's sector configuration led to an unintended loss of power for a number of cars."

But several drivers chose to sum up the situation more concisely, pointing the finger squarely at this year's complicated power unit regulations.

Getty

"[It was] horrible," reigning champion Lando Norris said. "It proves that we shouldn't have any of that stuff on the electronic side."

When the issue became apparent, all cars were told to return to the pits where a software patch was supplied by the FIA and uploaded by each team.

The resulting delay meant the start of the race was over 90 minutes behind schedule.

"We missed some good racing, wet tyres at the beginning, we should have been out there running," Aston Martin driver Lance Stroll said. "Instead cars are fixing their software issues, it's a bit sad to see."

Cadillac driver Sergio Pérez added: "I mean it's obviously not great what happened today -- I'm sure we will learn from it as a sport, but what happened today is totally unacceptable for the sport."

For many drivers it was further proof that this year's regulations, which were designed so that nearly 50% of the car's power comes from its battery, are overcomplicated.

"That's the problem that we have, these engines are so complicated and a lot of software is implemented," race winner Verstappen said. "When there is some kind of error or glitch, or whatever you want to call it, that's the problem.

"I triggered it first, then I look in my mirror, and I just see everyone ... I was like wait, are they waiting for me or?"

Hamilton, who was sat next to Verstappen in the press conference after finishing third, likened the situation to Lego's marketing stunt at the British Grand Prix where all the drivers were given electric go-karts to race against each other.

"It was like the Lego race!" Hamilton said.

"Yeah, we had the same speed," Verstappen responded.

Kimi Antonelli, who finished second in Sunday's race, chimed in: "It was insane. Like at some point we were five-wide in the straight, because we couldn't understand what was going on."

Getty Images 

Williams driver Carlos Sainz called on the sport to "have a hard look at themselves and see how we ended up in this situation."

"It is clear the regs are extremely complicated for the drivers, for the teams, for the PUs [power units], for the manufacturers. It is too complicated," he added.

"Again, my only question mark is who, five years ago, decided that this was the direction to go?

"We are doing the best with what we are given as a sport and as regulations. The FIA and F1 are doing the best they can with what was decided four or five years ago, but clearly what was decided four or five years ago is wrong ...

"Not a lot more to say -- just learn as a sport not to do those mistakes again and not suffer from the same strange cases."

Once racing got underway, the track dried up and the grand prix featured two further Safety Car periods to clear cars that retired from the race in dangerous locations.

George Russell, who retired with a power unit issue under the final safety car period, said the fans that turned up to Malaysia's first grand prix since 2017 deserved a better show.

"The whole day felt like a bit of a faff, with the delay and then the red flag and then endless laps under the safety car and then suddenly doing extra laps to allow Checo [Sergio Pérez] to overtake [behind the Safety Car], it didn't feel very F1 today," he said.

"I'd have been a bit disappointed if I was in the stands, watching that unfold, so ... That wasn't good."

- Laurence Edmonson

CLOSEST FINISH IN OVER TWO DECADES | GEORGE RUSSELL VS. MAX VERSTAPPEN | AZERBAIJAN GRAND PRIX 2026

 

MAX VERSTAPPEN PASSES 100 KARTS IN JUST 14 LAPS IN RED BULL'S MAX VS 100

 

Image: Drivers seen during the Red Bull ‘MAX vs 100’ in Silverstone, Great Britain on September 16, 2026. - Credit: Predrag Vuckovic / Red Bull Content Pool

Max Verstappen has overtaken all 100 of his challengers in Red Bull's Max vs 100, the largest go-kart race ever staged, completing the task on lap 14 of 30 at Silverstone tonight. Starting 101st on a grid built specifically for the event, the four-time Formula 1 world champion cleared the field in just 35 minutes, 

– "When I went to the grid and I saw where I had to start, with 100 karts in front of me, I was a little bit worried," Max said. "After my first lap, with all the carnage, I did think 'Okay, we have got this under control!' It started to become really fun and once I started getting into a rhythm, was able to overtake them one-by-one and saw the gap closing, that was really exciting.

– "It was great to just be back in a go-kart again and go back to basics, it reminded me of racing back in the day. It's a really beautiful track and well designed, and it was a nice touch to be able to get all the data fed through the radio too. I had a great day and it was good to come out with the win!"

- The scale of it was clear from the moment the grid formed up. Seen from above, 101 karts stretched back along the Silverstone asphalt in rows, with Max in the very last one. Ahead of him were Red Bull athletes, Red Bull players, content creators, streamers, journalists and fans selected from around the world – most of them driving the track only for the second time after Tuesday's practice and a single qualifying lap earlier in the day.

- The opening lap decided half the race. With 101 karts funneling into the first corners, Max had passed more than 10 drivers before he even reached the start/ finish line and at the hairpin the field folded in on itself, karts running into each other and facing the wrong way. "I have no idea what's going on – it's carnage," he said over the radio. Two minutes in, he was 37th. 63 drivers had been eliminated without completing a lap – more than half the field – and when the number was relayed to him, the reply came back: "Not a bad first lap then!"

- Under the rules, a driver was out of the race the moment the rear of Max's kart drew level with the front of theirs, so every pass was final and the onboard microphones caught the field coming to terms with that one by one. On Lap 7, motorsport YouTuber Paky TWC, running sixth at the time, could be heard asking Max over the radio not to overtake him. He was passed shortly afterwards.

- By then the race had settled into a chase. Pole-sitter Jacky Martens, YouTuber Zac Alsop and Red Bull Ford Powertrains technician Lewis Osler had built a lead of around 12 seconds while the chaos unfolded behind them, and Max was taking three seconds a lap out of it.

– With 54 minutes still on the clock, the Race Director handed the leading group an extra fast lap. The three of them used their shortcuts together on Lap 12, then stopped fighting for the top sport and started driving defensively. It bought them a little time. On the next lap Max arrived, cleared Alsop and Osler in one corner and then passed Martens to finish the job with 35 minutes still on the clock.

- Martens, a Dutch Formula 1 journalist, had led for most of the race. He and Osler joined Max on the podium, the champion's own team technician standing one step below him. Very few people have ever stood on a podium alongside Max Verstappen and tonight two everyday racers joined that list. Behind Alsop in fourth, renowned off-road motorcyclist Pol Tarrés was fifth. Livestreamer RDJavi, photographer Larry Chen, mountain biker Bernard Kerr and actor Neo Yau completed the top 10.

– With onboard cameras and microphones on every kart, Max's exchanges with his challengers went out live on Disney+, presented by BAFTA Award-winning comedian Mo Gilligan. Max's fastest lap of the race was 2m 20.673s, while the next best was Martens's 2m 23.327s, over 2.6s slower. Across the full 35 minutes, Max passed a driver every 21 seconds on average. 

- The circuit, designed by Race Director and track designer David Terrien to accommodate a 100-kart field, was laid out on a temporary configuration at Silverstone for the event. Asked on his victory lap where the win ranks among his others, Max's answer came with a grin: "I think this is the best one yet!"

– Red Bull’s Max vs 100 is available to watch again on Disney+ globally and on the ESPN App for ESPN Unlimited subscribers in the U.S., with a broadcast on ESPN2 at 19.00 ET.

QUOTES

Max Verstappen: "When I went to the grid and I saw where I had to start, with 100 karts in front of me, I was a little bit worried. Ater my first lap with all the carnage, I did think okay we have got this under control! It started to become really fun and once I started getting into a rhythm and was able to overtake them one by one and saw the gap closing, that was really exciting. It was great to just be back in a go-kart again and go back to basics, it reminded me of racing back in the day. It's a really beautiful track and well designed and it was a nice touch to be able to get all the data fed through the radio too. I had a great day and it was good to come out with the win!

“It's something very unique and you never know how it's gonna go, but the first time went really well. So from there on, I could really have a lot of fun trying to hunt them all down. There was a lot of effort going into it and it was nice that they all had a lot of fun as well, like preparing and participating.”

David Terrien, track designer and race director: "Going through the traffic of such a big field, no one has done it. There’s never been a karting race with so many karts. So even Max was questioning himself just before the start, how he could go through the traffic. When you look at the replay, he picked the right spots. Every time there was a gap, he went for it. He was on the right side of the track when there was a crash going on the other side. We gave them more fast laps to allow them to compete longer and stay in the game longer. But he was just much faster.

"I think that’s what makes the difference with Max – his starts, and his reaction time. Even if it's a fun race, he showed his skills in all aspects. I was talking to Max's race engineer and we were looking at the replay of the start. And he sees something we don't see. He sees a gap that's going to open and it's not open yet. So I think that's a race vision, that's something he has that most of the drivers don't have."

Jacky Martens, F1 journalist and last driver caught: "I tried to stay out of the chaos at the beginning of the race, and luckily enough, three or four of us managed to pull away. You think if we're gonna tussle in the beginning of the race, he will catch us within a minute. So we tried to collaborate a little bit, but as soon as Max catches you guys, it's all for one. We all fought to be there as long as possible.”

“It was so much fun, honestly. I can't stop smiling. It feels like living in a dream or something. It's not something that I ever dreamed about, because it's so surreal to race against Max, and then finishing P2 right behind him, it's unbelievable, really. We're both from Limburg, so I don't know what it is in the water over there. Must be something special. As soon as there's four wheels involved, we're just quick with everything. It's a Limburg thing, I guess!”

Richard Cooke, Oracle Red Bull Racing Engineer: "Everyone fancies themselves a bit of a driver and thinks that they can maybe compete with these guys. But I think he's shown today that professional racing drivers, they operate on a completely different level! I think he would have always expected to win it, for sure, but I don't think we expected so much time left on the board. I think even that shocked him. The nicest thing to see is that he’s really enjoyed it today. He's just had a smile on his face the whole time."

Jack Harington, Partnerships Group Lead, Oracle Red Bull Racing, and one of the 100: "Oracle have been running the simulations for how long it would take Max to overtake everybody, and in the simulations we ran we thought it would take about 40 minutes. Now as I understand it was closer to 30 minutes, so you can have all the data in the world, the best technology in Oracle to predict it, but sometimes you've got a Max Verstappen who's just going to beat the data. I thought maybe I'd challenge Max and show that I should have been a Formula One driver, but I didn't even expect him to pass me where he did it was like lap four he overtook me on. Although it was earlier than I wanted, the image of Max overtaking me will live in my memory forever. It was a crazy race and to be part of it was just something I'm probably going to talk about to every single person I meet for the next 20 years."

- Racecar

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT MAX VERSTAPPEN’S INSANE KARTING CHALLENGE

Today’s the day: Max Verstappen gets back in a kart and faces 100 opponents. All you need to know about the four-time F1 champion’s unique challenge is here!

ARTICLE
© Red Bull Content Pool

Max Verstappen is set to take on 100 rivals in a specially staged kart race dubbed 'Max vs. 100'.

The four-time F1 champion faces a unique twist: he will start at the back of the field and must fight his way through the entire grid to win.

The event has already attracted significant attention, but what exactly does the challenge involve, when does it start, who is Verstappen up against, and where can fans watch it?

What is Max vs. 100?

Max vs. 100 will be held at Silverstone, the home of the British Grand Prix. The race will not take place on the full Grand Prix circuit, which would be far too long for the format, but on a specially designed layout.

That karting layout was created by David Terrien, who will also act as race director on the day.

The circuit has been designed to maximise overtaking opportunities, which makes sense given Verstappen has to pass 100 opponents inside 30 laps. That works out to an average of more than three passes per lap for the Red Bull driver.

Starting positions are set by a qualifying session, with the 100 challengers split into five groups of 20, each getting a single flying lap to post the fastest possible time. The quickest of the 100 will start on pole, while the slowest will line up directly ahead of Verstappen.

Once a rival has been passed, they are immediately eliminated from the race. A driver is only classified as overtaken once Verstappen's kart has fully passed theirs.

Any additional rules?

Weight is factored in, up to a point. Every driver must weigh at least 85 kilograms, with any shortfall made up using ballast on the kart.

Karts are highly sensitive to weight, so organisers want to prevent anyone gaining an unfair advantage. Drivers who weigh more than 85 kilograms receive no compensation the other way.

Another twist designed to spice up the action is a 'fast lap' available to everyone involved. Verstappen's 100 opponents can each use theirs once during the first half of the race, while Verstappen himself gets one fast lap in the second half.

The fast lap allows a driver to cut a section of track once, saving valuable time.

It has also been confirmed that Verstappen will be able to communicate with all 100 rivals during the race. That should make for entertaining viewing, with fans at home able to listen in on the exchanges between the Dutchman and the rest of the field, promising more than a few amusing moments.

© Red Bull Content Pool

Who are the opponents?

Verstappen's 100 opponents form a mixed bag of international content creators, influencers, Red Bull athletes, television personalities and F1 journalists.

Red Bull appears to have deliberately picked participants from all over the globe, from the United States to Australia and from South Africa to Norway.

The names most likely to give Verstappen genuine trouble on track include GoKartGod, an American content creator who specialises in karting; Si Hyun Park, a Korean professional drift racer; David Egan, founder and driver of Drift Games, and Wirtual, the Norwegian YouTuber known for the racing game Trackmania.

There are also several Red Bull athletes from other motorsport disciplines involved, including Billy Bolt and Pol Tarrés from enduro and Sarah Lezito from motorcycle stunt riding.

There is also speculation that Red Bull Racing sim driver Sebastian Job could take part, though that has not yet been officially confirmed.

Where can you watch it, and when?

The biggest question for anyone planning to tune in is exactly when and where to watch.

The entire event is being streamed live on Disney+. Coverage begins at 5 pm BST, with the race itself getting underway at 6 pm, and is expected to last around an hour.

- Ian Parkes

MAX VERSTAPPEN MEME | HILARIOUS VERSTAPPEN RADIO AT ITALIAN GRAND PRIX 2026

 

ROUND 13 RESULTS | MONZA | ITALY | FORMULA 1

 

MAX VERSTAPPEN TO TAKE ON 100 ON HUGE KARTING EVENT

The challenge will see Max Verstappen contest the world's biggest karting race on September 16.

Verstappen will take on a 100 kart challenge at Silverstone
© Red Bull Content Pool

Max Verstappen is set to take on 100 rivals as he swaps out his Formula 1 car for a kart at Silverstone. 

The four-time F1 champion is no stranger to taking on a challenge - just look at his recent exploits at the Nurburgring 24 Hours if you need proof. On this occasion, it will not be professional drivers lining up against him, but a string of Red Bull athletes, streamers, personalities, and "everyday fans" invited from around the world. 

"In go-karts you learn all the basics: starts, defending, overtaking," said Verstappen. "Of course, I spent a long period of my life go-karting, so it's always nice to return.

The track has been tested ahead of Verstappen's karting challenge
© Red Bull Content Pool

"It's about understanding the grip of the go-kart. I've done so many years in go-karting that you quite naturally get back into things."

This field may not seem like a challenge for such a decorated F1 star, but 101 karts on a track at one time will make things potentially even more cramped than Zandvoort was last weekend. 

In order to best cope with this number of vehicles, a purpose-built layout has been created at Silverstone. Race Director and French racing driver David Terrien was the man charged with the task. 

"Creating a track for 101 drivers at the same time has never been done, never been seen," he said. "So, it's very exciting. 

"When you have Max chasing everyone, I think that's going to be the experience of a lifetime for all the drivers. You're going to have Max showcasing all these skills of looking through the traffic, trying to prepare and plan where he can overtake people, and going through the traffic at the fastest speed he can because he doesn't want to let the drivers at the front pull away."

Among the Red Bull athletes set to take to the track against Verstappen are ultrarunner Arda Saatçi, basketball shooting phenomenon Chris "Lethal Shooter" Matthews, and British freestyle mountain biker Matt Jones.

Ensuring the challenge is in the public eye, the race will be broadcast live around the world on Disney+, and on the ESPN App for ESMP Unlimited subscribers in the United States. 

The race will take place on September 16th, on the weekend between the Spanish and Azerbaijan grands prix. 

- Sam Hall

MAX VERSTAPPEN HEALTH UPDATE AFTER HUGE DUTCH GP CRASH

RacingNews365 understands that Max Verstappen is uninjured following his huge accident on the opening lap of the Dutch Grand Prix.

© XPBimages

Max Verstappen is uninjured and okay following his huge accident on the opening lap of the Dutch Grand Prix, RacingNews365 understands.

On the first tour of Zandvoort, Verstappen lost control of the Red Bull rounding the banked final corner, with rain having fallen in the 30 minutes prior to the race, and smashed into the concrete wall on the outside of the track.

He then spun across the track and into the wall on the inside - albeit this secondary impact was at lower speed.

He was able to climb unaided from the car and reported that he was okay, but given the g-forces involved in the accident, he was required to make a mandatory visit to the medical centre for a health check. 

RacingNews365 understands that Verstappen did not suffer any injuries in the accident, and is spending time in the Red Bull energy station in the paddock, before attending to his media duties. 

- RN365 Staff

F1 DUTCH GP RED-FLAGGED AFTER MASSIVE MAX VERSTAPPEN CRASH

The Dutch Grand Prix has been red-flagged following a huge crash for Max Verstappen.

Max Verstappen smashes into the barriers in the opening stages

Formula 1's Dutch Grand Prix has been red-flagged following a huge crash for Max Verstappen. 

Verstappen lost control of his Red Bull in damp conditions at the final corner before slamming into the concrete barriers hard at the end of the first lap. 

The Dutchman immediately confirmed he was ok over team radio but his Red Bull suffered substantial damage. 

Other drivers managed to avoid Verstappen as he slewed back across the track, though Audi's Gabriel Bortoleto spun on his own behind at the same corner. Unlike Verstappen, the Brazilian avoided hitting anything. 

🚩 RED FLAG 🚩

Big crash at the end of the first lap 💥

And it's agony for Max Verstappen - he's out ❌#F1 #DutchGP pic.twitter.com/qD5f3tB9XO

— Formula 1 (@F1) August 23, 2026

The final F1 race to be held at Zandvoort has been red-flagged on lap three. 

It marks a hugely disappointing outcome for Verstappen at his final home F1 race.

A heavy downpour of rain had hit the track around 45 minutes before the start, but conditions dried up enough before the start for the field to start the race on slicks.

The top-10 order under the red flag is Lando Norris, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, George Russell, Charles Leclerc, Oscar Piastri, Lewis Hamilton, Liam Lawson, Arvid Lindblad, Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto. 

Norris retained the lead from pole position but Russell lost out to his Mercedes team-mate Antonelli.

Total heartbreak for Max in his final race at Zandvoort 💔

Verstappen makes his way back to the pits on foot#F1 #DutchGP pic.twitter.com/gjPiU34hbG

— Formula 1 (@F1) August 23, 2026

Leclerc had a fast start to jump Ferrari team-mate Hamilton, who banged wheels with Verstappen. The seven-time world champion also lost out to Piastri. 

The race will resume with a standing restart in the order the field was in at the end of the first lap. 

- Lewis Larkam

VERSTAPPEN, ANTONELLI AND MULTIPLE DRIVERS CLEARED BY FIA INVESTIGATION

Photo: Red Bull Content Pool

The FIA have cleared 11 drivers of infringements during sprint qualifying at the Dutch Grand Prix.

Half the grid was noted for failing to follow the maximum delta time of 1:28.0.

Verstappen one of 11 drivers cleared by FIA

They were: Esteban Ocon, Arvid Lindblad, Carlos Sainz, Lance Stroll, Gabriel Bortoleto, Max Verstappen, George Russell, Kimi Antonelli, Pierre Gasly and Valtteri Bottas.

The investigation took place after the session, with all of the drivers cleared.

The FIA said in a statement: "The Stewards thoroughly reviewed Marshalling/Positioning data, timing data, on-board cameras and CCTV cameras.

"All drivers concerned stayed at or above speeds necessary to stay below 1:28.0 around the vast majority of the circuit.

"However, in all cases the Stewards determined that the drivers took appropriate actions to not impede other drivers, and in all cases, they slowed down significantly to allow other drivers to pass while giving those drivers a clear track.

"The Stewards therefore determine that all drivers concerned did not drive 'unnecessarily slowly', and that they were above the maximum time because they took appropriate steps, and we therefore take no further action.

"Competitors are reminded that they have the right to appeal certain decisions of the Stewards, in accordance with Article 15 of the FIA International Sporting Code and Chapter 5 of the FIA Judicial and Disciplinary Rules, within the applicable time limits.

"Decisions of the Stewards are taken independently of the FIA and are based solely on the relevant regulations, guidelines and evidence presented."

Russell, who was under investigation, took pole position for the sprint race, which will take place tomorrow at 12:00 PM CEST.

The investigation was Verstappen's second of the session after he was cleared for a potential impeding incident with long-time rival Lewis Hamilton.

The FIA stewards noted the potential infringement in SQ1 when Verstappen and Hamilton came close together at Turn 3.

Eventually, the stewards announced that no further action would be taken.

The full results from sprint qualifying are as follows, with the drivers who were under investigation in bold.

- Connor Andrews

FORMULA 1 DRIVER STANDINGS | POINTS AFTER HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX 2026

 

LEWIS HAMILTON OPENS UP ON THE CRUCIAL MISTAKE BEHIND VERSTAPPEN'S STUNNING OVERTAKE

Lewis Hamilton has admitted that he did not see Max Verstappen coming, after the Dutchman produced an overtake of the season contender on the Ferrari driver at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

The seven-time world champion pushed Verstappen closely during the opening stint of the race, before undercutting the Red Bull driver during the pitstops.

Hamilton was simply expected to pull away from Verstappen and close up on the two leading McLarens, so would have been very surprised to see his old rival divebomb him into Turn 1, just after the pair lapped the Racing Bull of Liam Lawson.

Looking back at his start to the race and Max's overtake on him, Hamilton said: "I had a good start, relatively decent start. Gaining position and then had really good pace in that first stint of the race just can't overtake here unfortunately.

"Then undercut Max which is a positive. When we were passing one of the backmarkers I didn't see Max coming unfortunately. Max came past me and that kind of went downhill from there.

Giving his overall verdict on the day he added: "It was pretty bad, pretty frustrating. It is what it is and there's lots of positives to take from this first half of the season."

Hamilton was still on to finish ahead of Verstappen after undercutting him during the second stops. The Ferrari driver ultimately finished down in fifth though and blamed the unnecessary late pit stop for his penalty for speeding in the pitlane.

Lawson reacts to Verstappen move

Racing Bulls driver Lawson had the best seat in the house, as Verstappen lapped him before instantly divebombing Hamilton into the first corner.

Speaking after the race, he said: "Yeah, I was just trying not to get in the way and be too much involved. I wasn't getting lapped, so I didn't have to let him go, but yeah, it's I didn't expect them to go by. Obviously, I saw the late lunge, it ended up costing me so much time behind them, which at the time was a bit stressful, but it was a good move. It was very Max."

- Kieran Lynch

'TOO COMPLICATED' - CAN F1 DRIVERS REGAIN CONTROL FROM AI ENGINES?

 

The key theme among drivers in the build-up to Formula 1’s Hungarian Grand Prix so far has been concerns about how much results in 2026 are out of their hands. 

Last weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix exposed how forward-thinking algorithms that dictate where and when energy should be deployed are causing frustration among the majority of drivers. 

It led to baffling straightline speed deficits between identical cars and drivers feeling like what the algorithm decided was a key factor in deciding qualifying and the race.

Oscar Piastri complained at Spa that when qualifying is being “decided by computers behaving or misbehaving, it's a pretty crap way of going racing.” 

Asked in Hungary if it “sometimes feels like you’re the passenger of an AI programme that still has to be trained?”, Piastri replied: “Sometimes, yes. At a track like Spa or a track like Silverstone, it’s going to be worse. 

“Here [at the Hungaroring], I really don’t expect there to be many problems at all with that kind of thing, because the straights are so much shorter, so even if there are differences, they should be a lot less. 

“But the principle of driving a race car that loses effectively half of its power before the end of the straight is hard to get your head around sometimes. 

“Even in Spa, a lot of the middle sector we were doing it just on the combustion engine, with no battery assistance at all, which is a weird feeling in itself, having some corners with a certain amount of power and others with full power. 

“Spa was particularly frustrating, not just for me but for quite a lot of others, because those small differences in the code and what the engines did made quite a big difference in laptime. 

“Especially at the front of the field, I think there were still only nine hundredths or something separating four positions [0.094s covered third to sixth], and there were definitely more than nine hundredths on the table for quite a few drivers from things they could not control.” 

These forward-thinking algorithms have existed for a long-time before 2026, but as Piastri highlighted, knowledge of the previous power units was so mature, the impact was minimal. 

“When I joined Formula 1 [in 2023], those engines were incredibly mature, but also the penalty of things being slightly wrong or slightly out of place was significantly less, because it was such a small percentage of the overall power you got,” Piastri said.

“Whereas this year, it’s basically half your power, so any small differences or anything that doesn’t quite go right has a massive impact, especially at a track like Spa. 

“We’ve got no control over where the deployment happens, more or less. You can push the boost button, but that’s more for overtaking than in qualifying, especially. 

“When you’ve got those differences there that you have no control over, it can be frustrating.” 

‘Less raw’ a challenge 

Charles Leclerc has long bemoaned the reduced challenge of qualifying in 2026 and how you can actually be punished for the kind of all-out qualifying laps he’s become renowned for. He gave the example of doing a “very good” La Source Turn 1 at Spa, only to be punished for it as he then consequently lacks power on the Kemmel Straight. 

He explained "I feel like we all get surprised here and there on different tracks, because it's never always always the same reason why a problem has occurred, which makes it quite complicated.” 

As Max Verstappen summed up: “Sometimes you cannot make a difference. You're not allowed to make a difference because it will just penalise you on the next straight.”

Asked if fast drivers were still being rewarded, Leclerc said: “The characteristics of a fast driver is to adapt, constantly and quickly. 

“To be a fast driver only on one car- I mean, it is not great, and I don't think it exists so much either. I think a fast driver is fast in any car. 

“Does it add a little bit more unpredictability with these cars? Yes, it does, and I think pushing the absolute limit is probably less rewarding than it was in the past because whenever you go over, whenever you have a wheelspin, you waste energy on a wheelspin because you're not going forward but you're using the battery. 

“So all these kinds of things are making it a bit- it's less raw and it's a little bit more of a thinking game and of restraining yourself from going to the absolute limit, which is not my favourite exercise but again it's the way it is and I've got to optimise whatever I have.” 

‘Too complicated’ - but will it change? 

Haas team boss Ayao Komatsu (left) and Mercedes deputy team principal Bradley Lord

It’s not just drivers calling for change either as Haas team boss Ayao Komatsu thinks F1’s formula is “just too complicated” currently as “it relies on a tiny detail of driver operation that has an unintended or secondary consequence. 

“I think we all identify the need to avoid [it] and improve as a sport to bring the control back to the driver and also just simplify for everyone. 

“It's very important that everyone understands the sport regardless of what your interests are. To be able to do that, I think the sport has to be a bit more simplified.” 

But whether it will change before F1’s likely switch to simpler V8 engines remains to be seen. 

There are 2027 and 2028 rule changes planned that will shift F1 from its current 53-47 internal combustion engine to electrical power split to 60-40 in favour of the internal combustion engine. 

But that won’t eliminate the predictive algorithms, just reduce their importance as the electrical deployment is lessened. 

Piastri does think that teams’ growing understanding of how to exploit these power units will help too. 

“I’m sure it’ll get better. I don’t expect it to ever fully go away, but as the manufacturers understand it more and work out the regulation restrictions more, in terms of what the code can and can’t do, hopefully things will become a bit better,” Piastri said. 

That will lead to fewer mistakes with the algorithms but won’t necessarily mean more power back in the driver’s hands. 

A counter view

Not everyone is aligned that things need to be simplified in the first place, however.

When asked about the predictive algorithms, Audi F1 driver Gabriel Bortoleto said: “We are in Formula 1. We are developing the future technology. 

“If we are not using all the tools that are available in the world for us, in our favour, then I don't know what Formula 1 is about. 

“People used to complain because ‘nowadays the drivers have too much things to do’, now that there is things doing it for us, we are complaining now that they are doing it for us - so I'm happy with the way it's going.

“It's nice that the software is able to adapt itself and understand what and how much energy you are deploying through the lap and how to evolve through the laps, next laps you are doing. I don't think it should change, if I'm very honest, that's my opinion.”

He thinks adapting to such a challenge is just part of being an F1 driver.

“I don't think I changed much my way of driving, but again I don't like the sentence 'driving style', because I don't believe that a F1 driver should ever say that, because we should be able to adapt, even if it's not natural maybe.

“But we should be able to adapt to any type of car and the way you need to drive, that's why we do what we do and that's why we are the 22 drivers in the world doing F1.”

On the subject of whether the fastest drivers are still able to stand out, Bortoleto said: “Well, do you see Verstappen being slow? Do you see a seven-time world champion being slow this year? Do you see Leclerc being slow? I don't see them being slow, I still see them very competitive, so I wouldn't say fast drivers are slow.

“Actually Lewis [Hamilton] is a bit better than he was doing last year, Max is still performing like crazy, putting that car on the top, Lando [Norris], the world champion, the reigning world champion, is still quick when his thing doesn't break... 

“I don't think we have seen slow drivers last year becoming quick and the quick guys slow, I think it's still racing.” 

When Bortoleto’s comments were put to Max Verstappen, having clarified who said it, the Red Bull driver said: “Yeah, he's right. I mean, your driving style always needs to change to whatever is fastest. 

“I can drive the cars just saying, ‘this is how I drive it’. Well, I can tell you in Spa, you lose half a second. That shows you how weird it is at the moment.“He’s right, you need to adapt. Adaptability is super important. But that goes for any, like all the series that you've raced in, all the way to F1, I think you always need to adapt to what is best for that car that you are driving.” 

And when The Race put the question of whether F1 needs to move to put more power back in F1 drivers’ hands, Fernando Alonso - who may well feel there’s already plenty out of his control in F1 2026 so far in the slowest car - said: “I don’t know. It depends. I think F1 has always been a little bit like that. 

“I don’t think the drivers were deciding everything, even when we had traction control and some of the other aids. It was very specific to each team, developed by each team in a different way, with different philosophies. 

“You were pressing the throttle at the exit of the corners, and some cars were much better than the others. It’s not pure driver talent or input on some of the exits. 

“It’s the same with the starts. I’ve been doing starts for 25 years, and we’ve had many different regulations. At the end of the day, there were always some cars and some teams starting better than the others, with both cars. It’s not just that someone was doing something differently with the clutch, with a technique or with the throttle application. Both cars from that team were extremely good or extremely bad. 

“I think the team is always bringing the performance to everything. But yes, I think with these current regulations and the battery deployment, there is something that has to be fixed and improved. I think that’s well understood. 

“We are in the first half of this set of regulations, in the first year, and there are already talks about 2030 or 2031 and the V8. 

“Next year, there is already approval for the change to the combustion versus electrical part of the engine. There are things moving forward, and it’s well understood by the sport, by the teams and by everyone. 

“I’m optimistic for the future that it will get better and that it will be better understood what the rules and what the cars need to be.”

- JOSH SUTTILL

MAX VERSTAPPEN SPEAKS OUT ON CHRISTIAN HORNER'S F1 PADDOCK RETURN

Max Verstappen has revealed he and Christian Horner remain in contact after his ousting from the Red Bull Team Principal role

Max Verstappen has revealed he speaks to former Red Bull Formula 1 CEO and Team Principal Christian Horner “almost every week”.

Horner had lead the Milton-Keynes-based squad to eight Drivers’ and six Constructors’ titles during his 20-year tenure at the team.

Four out of those titles came with Verstappen, between 2021 and 2024. But since then, Red Bull’s form had deteriorated, eventually leading to a falling out between Horner and the upper echelons of Red Bull’s management.

12 months on, with Horner still looking for a permanent way back into the paddock, he made a return cameo at Silverstone.

At the time of Horner’s departure, a lot of speculation was surrounding the role Verstappen, and his father Jos had had in orchestrating the Briton’s removal.

But the 28-year-old revealed something completely contrary to the speculative record.

“I speak to Christian almost every week,” he told media including Motorsport Week when asked if he had spoken to Horner in the paddock at Silverstone.

“I saw him on the camera walking around, but I haven’t had time to meet anyone to be honest. It’s been busy.”

When prodded if he had been discussing something in particular with Horner, Verstappen simply replied, “Like you do with your friends or people that you’ve known for a long time.”

Max Verstappen opens up on “painful” 12 months after Horner’s Red Bull F1 departure

Hot on the heels of Horner’s ousting, Red Bull GmbH promoted Laurent Mekies as the CEO and Team Principal of the main team, after a year of service leading Racing Bulls in 2024 for the Frenchman.

And immediately after his arrival, the team did see an uptick in performance.

Verstappen launched an audacious bid to reclaim his F1 title, with a 100+ points deficit to Lando Norris, after the Dutch GP, reduced to just two points after the chequered flag fell at the Abu Dhabi GP.

But Red Bull’s first season as a works outfit, with a RBPT-Ford power unit collaboration, has turned out to be a pretty underwhelming reality for the Dutchman.

Heading into the Belgian GP weekend, the race where Mekies succeeded Horner at Red Bull last year, Verstappen is a staggering 103 points off of championship leader Andrea Kimi Antonelli, in seventh.

Looking back on these 12 months, Verstappen conceded that it has been “painful” but erred on the side of caution before pinning the blame solely on Mekies.

“Everyone is trying their best. I’m not blaming one person or whatever. It’s just painful for everyone that this is happening,” Verstappen explained.

At Silverstone, Verstappen suffered his second rear-wing related incident, after his Q1 crash at Austria, DNFing out of P3 with only a handful of laps remaining.

“He [Mekies] came straight in my room, of course, to discuss the problems that we had in the race, to let me know what happened out there,” he concluded.

“But that’s normal. We always do that, good or bad.”

With Horner’s F1 return imminent, the last couple of race weekends has also exposed the fragility of the relationship between Verstappen and Red Bull, with the four-time F1 Champion reportedly on his way out at the end of 2026.

- Anirban Aly Mandal

WHY MAX VERSTAPPEN DIDN'T SPEAK TO CRISTIAN HORNER AT THE BRITISH GRAND PRIX

Max Verstappen speaks "weekly" with former boss Christian Horner, but the pair did not meet ahead of the British Grand Prix

Verstappen and Horner had their differences at Red Bull

Max Verstappen has revealed why he didn't speak with Christian Horner ahead of the British Grand Prix, despite the former Red Bull boss making his long-awaited return to the Formula 1 paddock.

The four-time champion has previously spoken of his continued relationship with his former boss since Horner was relieved of his duties at Red Bull one year ago, but this did not extend to a meeting at Silverstone this weekend. 

However, this was not due to any underlying or underplayed animosity between the pair, but was more an issue of timing across what is always a busy weekend. 

Asked if he had spoken to Horner on Sunday, Verstappen said: “I speak to Christian almost every week. I saw him on the camera walking around, but I haven't had time to meet anyone, to be honest. It’s just been busy.”

Asked if he was willing to share what the pair discuss in their weekly chats, and if it was just 'normal stuff', Verstappen added: “Yeah. Like you do with your friends, or people that you've known for a long time.”

One year on from Horner's removal, and Verstappen appears to be at his lowest point with Red Bull, as he labelled the rear wing of his car "super-dangerous" following a second crash in as many weeks. 

Horner's successor as Red Bull team principal, Laurent Mekies, has vowed to "leave no stone unturned" in searching for the root issue with the wing, and Verstappen said of the initial debrief of his crash: “He came straight into my room, of course, to discuss the problems that we had in the race, to let me know what happened out there, so yeah. But that's normal, we always do that.”

Dismissing this as nothing other than a normal post-race procedure, however, he added: “But we always do that, good or bad.”

- Sam Hall