Max Verstappen produced another extraordinary comeback at the 2026 Brazilian Grand Prix, charging from 21st on the grid to second place and leaving even Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies astonished. The four-time Formula 1 world champion gained 14 positions in the opening five laps at a rain-soaked Interlagos, securing his eighth consecutive podium despite significant handling problems with his RB22.
Isack Hadjar completed an outstanding afternoon for Red Bull by finishing third, giving the team a double podium. Yet the spotlight inevitably fell on Verstappen, whose recovery once again demonstrated why he enjoys an exceptional level of status, freedom and financial recognition within the Formula 1 paddock.
His performance was not simply about outright speed. It was also an example of racecraft, confidence and maturity, particularly during the opening stages when the wet surface rewarded drivers capable of identifying grip where others struggled.
Laurent Mekies admits Max Verstappen exceeded Red Bull’s Brazilian GP simulations
Max Verstappen’s recovery began almost immediately. Despite starting from 21st position, the Dutchman gained ten places on the opening lap and had recovered 14 positions by the end of lap five, an extraordinary achievement given the poor visibility and the risks associated with racing in the rain.
The numbers were so remarkable that Laurent Mekies admitted Red Bull’s own simulations had been unable to anticipate what its leading driver would accomplish.
“There isn’t a simulation in the world capable of predicting that a driver can go from 21st to second, or gain 14 positions in five laps,” Mekies commented. “Max regularly manages to do better than our simulations.”
It was a revealing assessment of the additional performance Verstappen can deliver. His ability to identify overtaking opportunities in conditions where other drivers primarily see danger remains one of the qualities that distinguishes him from the rest of the field.
How Max Verstappen gained 14 places in the opening five laps at Interlagos
Despite the remarkable statistics, Verstappen revealed that his start had been far from perfect. A mistake with his clutch management compromised his initial getaway, while traffic through the opening corners prevented him from immediately exploiting the full potential of his Red Bull.
“In the first three corners, I had three or four cars ahead of me blocking my way. I saw Lewis managing to get past really well, and I was disappointed that I couldn’t do the same. But over the following two laps, I was overtaking practically one car at every corner.”
The key to his progress was the confidence he had in the RB22 on intermediate tyres. Even during the reconnaissance laps, Verstappen had begun to sense that Red Bull possessed a significant advantage in terms of available grip.
“At first I thought there was very little grip, then I saw the other cars and realised that we actually had quite a lot. I knew the balance was good, and that showed in the opening laps.”
Interlagos is a circuit where drivers can experiment with different racing lines, particularly in wet conditions. Verstappen has repeatedly demonstrated his ability to exploit those alternatives, using his understanding of the available grip to execute overtakes that might otherwise appear unlikely.
“I felt comfortable with the car, I had confidence and I was looking for grip in different parts of the track. Here you can use different lines, and that helps with overtaking. You have to feel confident to be able to take a few more risks.”
Red Bull balance problems make Verstappen’s second place even more impressive
The significance of Verstappen’s recovery becomes even greater when considering the difficulties he encountered after switching to slick tyres. Having enjoyed a well-balanced car on intermediates, the Dutchman suddenly began experiencing severe oversteer through the faster corners.
The change in behaviour was so pronounced that he questioned whether the RB22 might have sustained damage or lost aerodynamic downforce during the race.
“As soon as I switched to slicks, I started having extreme oversteer in the high-speed corners. The car was very difficult to drive. We need to understand whether something broke, whether we lost downforce or whether something else happened, because it wasn’t normal.”
Even when further rain forced the drivers to return to intermediate tyres, the balance problems persisted. Verstappen therefore spent a substantial portion of the Grand Prix managing a car that no longer behaved as it had during his impressive opening stint.
“I drove most of the race with a car that wasn’t in the right condition. I’m very happy with second place, but I know we could have achieved more.”
Laurent Mekies confirmed that Red Bull would need to investigate the handling difficulties, although he also acknowledged that race winner Lando Norris and McLaren appeared to possess a genuine performance advantage.
“I think Lando was generally a little faster than us. Even if we had started from second position, he probably would have had an advantage in terms of race pace. But we need to understand how much time we lost because of the balance problems, because Max wasn’t happy with how the car was behaving.”
That assessment leaves an open question about how competitive the RB22 might have been without its handling problems. Nevertheless, the uncertainty does little to diminish the scale of Verstappen’s achievement, given the distance he had already recovered from the back of the field.
Max Verstappen credits experience and patience for Brazilian GP comeback
Another striking aspect of Verstappen’s performance was his ability to balance aggression with restraint. He attacked when conditions allowed him to gain positions, but showed patience when the car’s behaviour made taking additional risks less sensible.
The Dutchman believes this judgement has developed through the experience accumulated over his Formula 1 career.
“Experience helps a lot, especially when you have to deal with difficulties during a race or understand when it’s better not to take too many risks. It wasn’t an easy race, particularly because of how the car was behaving, but we still managed to achieve a great result.”
That maturity now complements the natural speed and wet-weather sensitivity that have long defined his driving. Verstappen is not simply a driver capable of making overtakes in conditions where others prefer to wait; he can also read the changing circumstances of a race, evaluate the balance between risk and reward, and maximise the result available to him.
His eighth consecutive podium strengthens his hold on second place in the 2026 Formula 1 Drivers’ Championship standings, underlining the remarkable consistency of his performances during the second half of the season.
Isack Hadjar completes Red Bull double podium as Laurent Mekies praises team recovery
Verstappen’s second place, combined with Isack Hadjar’s third, also demonstrates how far Red Bull has progressed during the second half of the championship. Laurent Mekies recalled how difficult such a result would have been to imagine earlier in the season, when the team was more than a second behind the leading competitors.
“At one point during the season, we were 1.3 or 1.4 seconds away from the benchmark. We questioned everything and worked on every area of the car. When we got to three tenths, we knew that recovering the final part of the gap would be even more difficult. But over the last six or seven races, we’ve been reasonably close to the pace of the best.”
The Red Bull team principal also described Interlagos as the best race Hadjar had delivered since joining the senior team. Mekies highlighted the Frenchman’s speed and intelligence in managing exceptionally difficult conditions, recognising the importance of his contribution to the double podium.
It was a result that rewarded the efforts of the entire Red Bull operation, whose technical development and determination have helped transform its competitiveness. The team’s progress has been especially significant after earlier setbacks, including the starting difficulties encountered by Verstappen during the Mexico City Grand Prix weekend.
However, the defining performance at Interlagos belonged to Verstappen. Having started from 21st and finished second, the four-time world champion still left Brazil believing that an even better result might have been possible.
That dissatisfaction, combined with his ability to transform seemingly hopeless situations into exceptional results, helps explain his unique position within Red Bull. It also illustrates why extraordinary performances such as his Brazilian Grand Prix recovery can begin to feel almost routine, even when the numbers demonstrate just how remarkable they really are.
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