Verstappen surprised by second place after Red Bull’s recovery

Max Verstappen says he was surprised to be second in the 2026 drivers’ standings after Red Bull’s difficult start to the season. Speaking at Thursday’s FIA press conference ahead of the São Paulo Grand Prix, he called P2 “a big surprise” and said the car had not been where the team wanted it early in the year.

He said Red Bull probably still had more to learn about its power units, and that the team learned a great deal over the season as the car became more competitive. Verstappen credited the team with continuing to understand its difficulties and seek improvements, describing the progress within the year as a “big turnaround”.

Verstappen was still dealing with radio and downshift issues over recent race weekends. He said he thought the radio had worked much better in Mexico, though a few settings probably still needed work. He framed his shift complaints as an effort to keep the team searching for more lap time.

It took five rounds for Verstappen to reach a podium and 16 events to win again. By Thursday he had won three of the last four Grands Prix. His consistency since the summer break had lifted him to second, with a slim advantage over Lewis Hamilton; Red Bull were third in the teams’ standings.