Verstappen generally sees Red Bull as fourth-fastest team despite podium run

Verstappen has taken six podium finishes this season, five of them in the last seven races, RacingNews365 Nederland reports on 24 September 2026. The outlet cites comments the four-time world champion made to Viaplay, in which he explains why, in his view, those better results do not point to a major jump in speed. [1]

Red Bull now understands the car a little better, in his view. That is different, however, from being able to run consistently faster: Verstappen sees little change in outright race pace over the last seven races. He is therefore not denying all progress, but distinguishing between getting more out of the car and having a faster underlying pace.

He gives several explanations for the run of podium finishes. A good qualifying performance can help, as can seizing an opportunity at the right moment during the race or choosing a suitable strategy. Red Bull also benefited, he says, from mistakes and problems among its rivals. He therefore does not attribute the results solely to luck: the team's own execution matters too. According to Verstappen, that combination has yielded more podium finishes than he had expected. [1]