Palmer says Verstappen and Red Bull look almost unbeatable

Jolyon Palmer says Max Verstappen and Red Bull now look virtually unbeatable after successive wins in Malaysia and Singapore. On the F1 Nation podcast, the former Formula 1 driver said it was striking to be discussing who could stop Verstappen’s dominance, given where Red Bull stood at the beginning of the season and even midway through it.

Red Bull’s improvement followed updates introduced in Azerbaijan. They enabled Verstappen to fight George Russell for victory in Baku; he won in Malaysia a week later. In Singapore, Verstappen claimed his first Grand Prix victory at Marina Bay on his tenth attempt.

Palmer called him “Mighty Max” and said the wins on very different circuits showed Red Bull could perform across a range of track types. He also said Verstappen had mastered the new regulations and felt more comfortable in the car.

Former IndyCar driver James Hinchcliffe agreed Red Bull had been fast at Baku, Malaysia and Singapore, but said the 2026 pecking order had shifted quickly. McLaren had been the benchmark a few races earlier, he said, after Mercedes had held that status for a long time.

Hinchcliffe also said Ferrari was faster on Singapore’s qualifying ideal-lap times, although Verstappen extracted more from his car. In his view, a Red Bull capable of fighting at the front with Verstappen at the wheel is the benchmark.