Verstappen says second or fifth makes no difference

Max Verstappen says it makes no difference to him whether he finishes second or fifth in the 2026 Drivers’ Championship: “I don’t really care, because it’s only about first.” Ahead of the Mexico City Grand Prix, he said Red Bull would try to finish third in the Constructors’ Championship, which he believed was the team’s aim. His biggest priority, he added, was ensuring the team starts 2027 with as strong a car as possible.

At the time, Verstappen was six points behind George Russell in second and five behind third-placed Lewis Hamilton. He narrowly missed victory in Azerbaijan, then won consecutive races in Malaysia and Singapore. At the United States Grand Prix, he finished third after being unable to hold off Charles Leclerc for second. Verstappen said his car had some damage, other elements were not where Red Bull wanted them and the engine was not performing as hoped; those issues contributed to lost lap time.

Red Bull were level on points with McLaren in the Constructors’ Championship. Verstappen said the team had improved a lot during 2026 but was still far from satisfied, with plenty of changes still planned for 2027.