Shanna is a Formula 1 journalist at GPblog, specializing in both F1 and endurance and GT racing. With a Master’s degree in Journalism and experience at international circuits, she provides in-depth, reliable coverage and insights based on her presence at Grands Prix and racing events worldwide.
Max Verstappen is currently not thinking at all about signing a new contract with Red Bull Racing. The four-time world champion first has to decide whether he even wants to continue beyond his current deal, which runs through 2028.
While Charles Leclerc has recently signed a new deal with Ferrari, Verstappen is certainly not thinking about his next contract right now. “I haven’t signed a new contract for a while,” Verstappen said when GPblog asked him about his situation.
“That’s not my biggest concern at the moment. I still have two years. First I need to decide for myself whether I want to continue beyond 2028. I’m not in a hurry either. Otherwise I would’ve signed a contract for 2040 ages ago,” he laughed. For now, his focus is on improving the car after Red Bull had a difficult start to the current season. The team made a step forward in Miami, and in Canada, he scored his first podium capitalizing on George Russell's DNF.
Top speed issues in Canada
In Montreal, Verstappen mentioned among other things that he had less top speed than expected, but says there was no issue with the car in that area. “No, I think that’s just the limit we have at the moment. Just being a bit slower on the straights. On circuits where you’re naturally more energy-inefficient, it gets a bit tougher,” he explained. For Red Bull Ford, P3 was encouraging, but Verstappen remained more realistic.
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Max Verstappen took his first podium of the year in Canada - Photo: Red Bull Content Pool
“There’s definitely still work to do. You can say all you want, but you have to stick to the facts: we’re still too slow. I think that will be the case here as well. If you look at the last few races — Ferrari is extremely strong in the slow corners. They’ll be very good here, I think. That’s my feeling. Here you need the slow corners, the kerbs, the bumps, the driveability,” he continued.
“We’re okay in the low-speed corners, but I think those other things are exactly the aspects where we’re not yet performing optimally. That just costs lap time,” Verstappen said.
The four-time world champion also expects the feeling in the car to become more natural this weekend, especially as battery management will play a smaller role. “It will be a bit better. I don’t know, I haven’t done a lap yet.”
Overtaking in Monaco remains difficult
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Verstappen was then asked whether he still sees opportunities to overtake during the race. In general, it takes a lot, such as a heavy rain shower or a crash, to shake up the order during the Grand Prix. “In Formula 2 you can’t overtake either,” Verstappen points out. “In Formula 3 or the [Porsche] Cup car you can’t overtake either.”
Verstappen was also reminded that he has often achieved the ‘impossible’ in Monaco in the past. “Yes, but back then the people I was overtaking were two or three seconds slower. That’s a whole different story. If you’re overtaking those kinds of people, then you started at the back. When you have that many cars around you, you can’t overtake.”
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Monaco Grand Prix
Overview
Friday 05.06.26
Practice 1
11:30 AM
Practice 2
03:00 PM
Saturday 06.06.26
Practice 3
10:30 AM
Qualification
02:00 PM
Sunday 07.06.26
Race
01:00 PM
Friday 05.06.26
Practice 1
Fri 11:30 AM
Practice 2
Fri 03:00 PM
Saturday 06.06.26
Practice 3
Sat 10:30 AM
Qualification
Sat 02:00 PM
Sunday 07.06.26
Race
Sun 01:00 PM
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F1-stand 2026
Season
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | MercedesMER | 131 | |
2 | MercedesMER | 88 | |
3 | FerrariFER | 75 | |
4 | FerrariFER | 72 | |
5 | McLarenMCL | 58 | |
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9 | HaasHAA | 18 | |
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