Max Verstappen has expressed surprise regarding his current second-place position in the 2026 Formula 1 Drivers’ Championship. The Red Bull driver made these comments in São Paulo, ahead of the Brazilian Grand Prix. Verstappen began the season with a significant performance deficit compared to leading competitors.
Despite early difficulties, Verstappen has achieved a notable turnaround in the standings. He now holds the second-highest points tally after nineteen races. This places him behind only Kimi Antonelli, who has already secured the 2026 World Drivers’ Championship.
Antonelli, driving for Mercedes, clinched his maiden title at the Mexico City Grand Prix on November 1, 2026. At 20 years old, Antonelli became the youngest F1 World Champion in the sport’s history.
Verstappen, a four-time F1 World Champion, credits Red Bull’s strategic updates to the RB22 car for his improved performance. The team introduced significant developments, particularly noted after the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
These enhancements have enabled Verstappen to win three of the last four races, propelling him up the championship order. He has now surpassed both Lewis Hamilton and George Russell in the fight for second place.
Hamilton competes for Ferrari in the 2026 season, having joined the Italian squad at the start of 2025. Russell remains with Mercedes, partnering with Antonelli.
Verstappen reflected on the team’s initial struggles. “It is honestly a big surprise to be second in the championship, but we gladly accept it,” he stated in São Paulo.
“I think as a team we had a lot of difficulties in the beginning. You know, the car was not quite where we wanted it to be.”
He further elaborated on the learning curve with the power unit. “We probably also had to learn a lot about the power unit, and I think we really learned a lot throughout the season.”
The Red Bull RB22, powered by a Red Bull Ford DM01 unit, was unveiled in January 2026 under new technical regulations. Red Bull implemented extensive changes to the RB22 in Japan in April 2026.
Further upgrades, including a revised engine cover and sidepod design, were brought to the Mexico City Grand Prix in late October. These technical advancements have made the car significantly more competitive.
Verstappen emphasised his consistent approach to extracting maximum performance from his equipment. “As far as I’m concerned: you just never really give up, or you never settle for a sixth or seventh place.”
He continued, “Even when I was in that position or fighting in the midfield, I still tried to get the best out of the situation – sometimes that is a sixth place, if the car cannot perform better.”
The Dutchman acknowledged the impact of recent victories. “As soon as the car is in better shape, you can compete at the front and eventually win races. When you win, you naturally take points away from the rest, and that was the scenario during the last races.”
Verstappen expressed satisfaction with the team’s resilience. “I am happy about that, but it also shows that the team never gave up and worked hard to find these improvements and understand the difficulties. I am just happy that we made such a big turnaround within one season.”
Verstappen currently holds 261 points in the championship, having secured 3 wins and 11 podium finishes over 19 rounds.
