Ben Hunt is an award-winning motorsport journalist with over two decades of experience in Formula 1 and international media. As a former editor-in-chief and bestselling author, he delivers in-depth analysis and strategic insight from the highest level of the sport.
Max Verstappen has provided a rare insight into his father Jos's emotions about Red Bull's difficult start to the 2026 season, saying he found it hard to take.
The four-time world champion was asked about his father's emotional reaction in the post-race press conference after the Bahrain Grand Prix, which was held at Sepang. It was also the first victory for Red Bull's own power unit project.
It was a long wait. Verstappen had not won since Abu Dhabi in December last year, and his pole position in Malaysia was his only one of the season so far.
It has been a tough season for the Dutchman, who was heavily rumoured to be considering quitting Red Bull for McLaren.
Verstappen: Jos 'knows everything'
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Verstappen made clear that Jos is still closely involved in his career, even though he no longer goes to every race.
So he's still there in the background. He's not coming to every race, but when he is there, we talk a lot about everything. He knows everything. Also for him, I guess the beginning of the season was not nice to watch.- Max Verstappen,
He started by saying the whole family is deeply involved in the project: "We're all very much invested in it." He also talked about how close he and his father are after many years of chasing the same goal. "And, of course, my relationship with my dad, we really understand each other well from all the years that we have spent together working towards our goal in Formula 1," Verstappen said.
Verstappen admits the car was 'not nice to drive'
Verstappen did not hide how hard the first part of the year had been from behind the wheel either. He said the team's response is what made the Sepang win special.
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As for me, being in the car was not nice to drive. But then seeing how the team progressed and basically never really stopped working and took the car and really tried to fix the issues that we had, and then deliver something like this, it's amazing.- Max Verstappen,
He also praised the mood inside the Milton Keynes outfit: "Also with the people involved, honestly, the spirit in the team is very good. Everyone is on the same line and we really understand each other well. So it's very enjoyable to work in the team and that's why I think everyone is super happy that we finally delivered a result like this."
Straight after the race, Verstappen had already described the win as super nice, as GPblog reported.
Red Bull's upward curve continues
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The win in Malaysia followed clear signs of progress. Red Bull took a double podium at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix last weekend, with Verstappen second and Isack Hadjar third. At Sepang, Hadjar finished fifth.
However, the improvement comes too late for Verstappen's title hopes. Still, it adds a new dynamic to the final months of the season, and after a first half that was hard to drive and hard to watch, the Verstappen camp finally has something to celebrate.
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