Max Verstappen frustrated gesture to rival F1 driver after overtake sums up his season

verstappen, red bull, japan — Photo: © IMAGO

Japanese Grand Prix

Max Verstappen's frustrated gesture to rival F1 driver after overtake sums up his season

It's not been a good start to the season for Max Verstappen

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Sunday 29 March 2026 10:42

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A gesture aimed at an F1 rival by Max Verstappen at the Japanese Grand Prix pretty much summed up the four-time world champion's start to the season.

Verstappen and his Red Bull team have been struggling for performance in 2026, and they appear to be in a midfield battle with the likes of Alpine and Audi.

Verstappen could only finish eighth in the race after qualifying down in 11th, but crucially the Dutchman beat his team-mate Isack Hadjar once again.

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Four-time world champion Verstappen is already 60 points behind early championship leader Kimi Antonelli, and has not finished higher than sixth in a race so far this year.

And while battling with Alpine's Pierre Gasly at the Japanese GP, Verstappen gestured towards the Frenchman in an unusual move.

Verstappen waved goodbye to Gasly as the Alpine driver cruised past the Dutchman on the start-finish straight, a move that saw Gasly move up into seventh.

That was the order that the pair would finish in, although Verstappen almost managed to gain the position on the final lap of the race, finishing 0.2 seconds behind Gasly in the end.

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Was Verstappen gesture a protest against 2026 regulations?

Verstappen's waving through of Gasly may well have been another expression of his frustration at the 2026 regulations.

Verstappen has been very vocal about the new rules - which feature a greater emphasis on electrical energy - calling them a 'joke' at the Chinese GP last time out, while also repeatedly claiming the cars are not fun to drive.

We are seeing an increased amount of overtakes this year as a result compared to last year, and that has provided fans with some thrilling action.

Gasly had his overtake mode deployed when heading past Verstappen, leaving the Dutchman with no chance of trying to defend the position, potentially what led to his reaction towards the Frenchman.

F1 Red Bull Max Verstappen Japanese Grand Prix Pierre Gasly