Max Verstappen has backed Kimi Antonelli to win the 2026 Formula 1 World Championship as the four-time champion comes to terms with a very different season of his own. After 13 Grands Prix without a victory, Max Verstappen says he has accepted both Red Bull’s current limitations and regulations he still does not believe have taken Formula 1 in the right direction, with his focus increasingly shifting towards laying stronger foundations for 2027.
The Red Bull driver has endured a difficult year in terms of results, largely because the RB22 has only been genuinely competitive at selected circuits. Rather than allowing that situation to affect his mood, Max Verstappen told Sky Sport that his priority is to continue doing his job, help Red Bull improve and prepare for next season. It represents a different approach from the frustration he expressed towards the current rules earlier in the year.
Max Verstappen remains winless after 13 Grands Prix
Max Verstappen’s most recent victory came at last year’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, when he ultimately surrendered the world championship to Lando Norris by just two points. After the winter break, the Dutchman entered a 2026 campaign that has so far delivered few major rewards by the standards of his previous title-winning seasons.
The difficulties have been closely linked to a Red Bull that has not consistently allowed Max Verstappen to exploit the qualities that made him so dominant in previous years. GP-News has previously examined how the RB22 has exposed new weaknesses in Max Verstappen’s 2026 campaign, leaving the four-time champion in an unfamiliar competitive position.
“I’ve had so many great years and now this season isn’t particularly positive in terms of performance, but unfortunately in F1 things don’t always go brilliantly,” Max Verstappen said. “You have to accept it, it doesn’t affect my mood. I do my best, the car doesn’t work the way I’d like, but I do my job. It’s not as though all the great champions have always had great cars…”
Max Verstappen says he has accepted the 2026 F1 regulations
At the beginning of the season, there had even been speculation about whether Max Verstappen could consider walking away from Formula 1 following his repeated criticism of the new technical regulations. His attitude has since evolved, even though his opinion of the rules themselves has not fundamentally changed.
“I think I’m someone who is capable of closing a chapter, but right now I feel that racing is still important to me. Even though I think these regulations are not going in the right direction, I’ve accepted this scenario because coming to races depressed or angry doesn’t help the team either, so I’m trying to live with it and give my best.”
That acceptance fits with Red Bull’s longer-term approach to its current difficulties. Max Verstappen has already explained that Red Bull is using parts of the 2026 season to prepare for 2027, when the Dutchman hopes the team can provide a more competitive platform.
Mercedes has regularly emerged as the strongest force across different types of circuit, while McLaren and Ferrari have also challenged near the front at various stages. Against that backdrop, the possibility of Max Verstappen completing an entire season without a victory has become increasingly realistic.
“It can happen, but fortunately I’ve already won quite a lot. Obviously I want to win, but I’m realistic and when it doesn’t happen, it doesn’t happen. If it ends up that way, that’s fine, it wouldn’t change my life.”
Looking towards next season, Max Verstappen added: “There are quite a few things I’m discussing with the team for next year. There isn’t one specific area, there will be a lot of changes and hopefully the direction will be the right one.”
Asked what would leave him satisfied at the end of the year, Max Verstappen explained that his broader outlook remains unchanged.
“I’m happy in general. In F1 you’re happy when you’re fighting for victories or the championship. Otherwise, you look to the future and try to understand how you can change things.”
Max Verstappen hopes Kimi Antonelli wins the 2026 F1 title
Although Max Verstappen is no longer involved in the championship fight himself, he has made his preference clear when discussing current leader Kimi Antonelli. The Mercedes driver has built a substantial advantage, although McLaren’s recent progress means the title battle remains open.
Kimi Antonelli himself has continued to resist getting carried away by the championship situation, having played down title talk despite holding a 66-point lead over George Russell.
“McLaren is definitely improving a lot at the moment, but Kimi is very solid,” Max Verstappen said. “Obviously towards the end the pressure starts to increase, so we don’t know how he will react, but he has a lot of talent and that compensates when you’re nervous. I hope he’s the one who comes out on top, but we’ll see.”
Technical development could also have an important influence on the championship battle. McLaren continues to bring upgrades as it attempts to close the gap to Mercedes, including further developments around the Madrid weekend as Lando Norris targets Mercedes in the title fight.
“He’s fast enough and he can do it by himself, but McLaren is bringing a lot of upgrades, so Mercedes needs to try to do something to respond and then he needs to be consistent,” Max Verstappen explained. “He has a big advantage, but he can’t afford to lose points because of retirements. If he wants to win the championship, from now on he needs to be rock solid.”
Max Verstappen improves through Friday practice in Madrid
Max Verstappen ended Friday’s running at the new Madrid circuit sixth fastest in FP2, four tenths behind Kimi Antonelli’s benchmark time. Despite the gap, the Red Bull driver felt both practice sessions had been reasonably productive as he gradually built confidence around the unfamiliar layout.
“Both sessions today weren’t actually too bad,” Max Verstappen said after Friday’s running. “We’re always trying to find some extra pace and understand the tyres better. It’s all about building confidence, especially here on a new track. We improved lap after lap, there are always little things to adjust and that’s what we’ll look at this evening.”
With the Madring presenting drivers with an unfamiliar mix of demanding corners and limited reference points, Max Verstappen expects Red Bull’s next priority to be understanding both qualifying performance and long-run tyre behaviour.
“Tomorrow we’ll look at the single-lap pace and then see how the tyres behave on the long runs, but anything can happen, so hopefully the session will be clean and we can get what we need from it.”
For Max Verstappen, the immediate objective in Madrid remains extracting everything possible from the RB22. The broader picture, however, is increasingly centred on the future: improving Red Bull’s car, adapting to a regulatory era he has now decided to accept and helping the team create a stronger foundation for 2027.
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