Verstappen singles out the Baku ingredients Red Bull cannot afford to miss

At the most recent round in Madrid, the Dutchman secured his sixth podium of the season after a strong race that saw him finish second behind championship leader Kimi Antonelli. However, despite his consistent run of podium finishes, Verstappen is still waiting for his first victory of the year.

Speaking ahead of the weekend, the four-time world champion highlighted the positive result in Madrid and explained that Red Bull is determined to carry that momentum into Baku, with the team continuing to work hard to maximise the performance of the car.

Verstappen also pointed to the unique characteristics of the Baku City Circuit, where the long straights demand strong aerodynamic efficiency while the tight corners require sufficient downforce, particularly through the second sector. He described the street circuit as both challenging and technical, while also recalling the positive memories Red Bull has from the venue. He further welcomed Isack Hadjar's return to the car after recovering from his injury.

“We've made some good steps with the car over the last few races and we have some good memories here. It is also great that Isack has recovered from his injury and that he will be back in the car for this race.”

Former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner does not expect Max Verstappen to claim a single Grand Prix victory during the 2026 Formula 1 season, with the former Haas team principal believing Red Bull's current package is simply not competitive enough to put the Dutchman in a position to fight for wins. Despite Verstappen's ability to extract strong performances from the car, Steiner believes the RB22 lacks the necessary performance to consistently challenge the frontrunners over a full race weekend.

Steiner's assessment places the focus firmly on Red Bull's machinery rather than Verstappen himself. In his view, the four-time world champion remains capable of producing standout performances and fighting his way towards the podium, but the limitations of the RB22 could prevent him from going one step further.

With the competitive gap proving difficult to overcome, Steiner believes Verstappen's individual talent may not be enough to turn Red Bull's current package into a race-winning contender.