Max Verstappen has said that fifth place was the best that he could do, as the Dutchman thinks the Red Bull still lacks a lot of pace on straights in particular.
"We've been wrestling with the engine all weekend long," Verstappen told the media scrum.
"There's something going on with the software, it's kind of comparable to Azerbeidjan last year because the engine didn't break either then.
"I'm very impressed by Ferrari, their car is just so fast right now.
"The weather could be the deciding factor as it's now cold but tomorrow it'll be warmer, so we'll see what we can do tomorrow."
ADVERTISEMENT
Last season, Verstappen got his first podium of the season in China as the then-teenager finished third behind Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton. Verstappen went on to win two races last season, in Mexico and Malaysia.
Don’t miss GPblog in Google
Mark us as a preferred source and our articles will appear more often at the top of Top Stories.
Add as a preferred / source on GoogleRead more about:
latest news
Azerbaijan Grand Prix
Overview
Thursday 24.09.26
Practice 1
08:30 AM
Practice 2
12:00 PM
Friday 25.09.26
Practice 3
08:30 AM
Qualification
12:00 PM
Saturday 26.09.26
Race
11:00 AM
Thursday 24.09.26
Practice 1
Thu 08:30 AM
Practice 2
Thu 12:00 PM
Friday 25.09.26
Practice 3
Fri 08:30 AM
Qualification
Fri 12:00 PM
Saturday 26.09.26
Race
Sat 11:00 AM
Times are in your local timezone
Rumors
Popular on GPBlog
1
FIA deliver double grid penalty blow after Azerbaijan GP qualifying
1871 times read
2
Azerbaijan GP starting grid gets fresh twist after FIA hands down penalties
1554 times read
3
F1 Full Results | Verstappen sets the pace ahead of Russell in FP3
1099 times read
4
F1 Full Results | Russell takes pole and capitalizes on Antonelli's mistake
1001 times read
F1-stand 2026
Season
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | MercedesMER | 292 | |
2 | MercedesMER | 211 | |
3 | FerrariFER | 191 | |
4 | McLarenMCL | 186 | |
5 | FerrariFER | 167 | |
6 | Red Bull RacingRBR | 145 | |
7 | McLarenMCL | 120 | |
8 | Red Bull RacingRBR | 71 | |
9 | Racing BullsRCB | 59 | |
10 | AlpineALP | 41 |
Loading
