Chandhok: Verstappen would trail Antonelli by just 16 points from Spain

After the United States Grand Prix, Sky analyst Karun Chandhok used a hypothetical points comparison to underline Max Verstappen’s form since the start of summer: if the first six 2026 race weekends are left out and the count starts at the Spanish Grand Prix, Verstappen would be only 16 points behind Antonelli, he said.

His praise came alongside a critical assessment of Red Bull in the United States. Verstappen finished third on an alternative strategy that did not fully work. Chandhok said the team’s pace looked strong on Friday and Saturday, but it failed to get its strategy right on Sunday; he did not believe basic speed was the problem.

Chandhok also pointed to the start. In his view, Red Bull was not getting off the line cleanly, leaving Verstappen in dirty air and setting off a chain reaction. He described Verstappen as very frustrated, said he should have finished fourth and had been lucky with the virtual safety car.

Red Bull’s turnaround has unfolded in its first season building its own engine. The team has looked particularly strong since an update in Baku, and Verstappen won in Malaysia and Singapore. Chandhok said the team was still learning during its opening six races before becoming very strong.