F1 Canada: Max Verstappen vents Red Bull frustration: 'We've had this problem for years'

Verstappen in Canada — Photo: © Red Bull Content Pool

Canadian Grand Prix

Max Verstappen vents Red Bull frustration: 'We've had this problem for years'

Verstappen's F1 problems continued in Montreal

By Vincent Bruins.

Saturday 23 May 2026 20:30

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Max Verstappen had a disappointing sprint at the Canadian Grand Prix. The Red Bull Racing driver could only manage seventh place and later voiced his frustration over ongoing issues with balance and tyre wear.

He made no secret of his dissatisfaction with his team’s current form.

While Mercedes duo George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, alongside McLaren’s Lando Norris, battled for the lead far ahead of him, Verstappen's race was a lonely struggle.

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The four-time world champion started seventh and was unable to improve his position during the short Saturday race at Montreal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

He described his race as being in no-man’s land, consistently fighting a major lack of grip. Meanwhile, teammate Isack Hadjar finished a disappointing 21st due to a power unit issue.

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Known issue hits extreme levels during the sprint

Speaking on a lacklustre afternoon interview with Viaplay, Verstappen remarked, "Yeah, not much happened, did it?"

When asked how the car felt compared to the day before, he was blunt: "Terrible. Same as yesterday."

This was hardly surprising, given that the car’s setup cannot be adjusted between sprint qualifying and the sprint race due to parc ferme regulations.

"Of course, the more tyre degradation you have, the tougher it gets. So yeah, not the best," he added.

Verstappen believes the unpredictable grip conditions aren’t entirely new for the team, but they reached a new low in Canada.

"We’ve been dealing with this issue for years. It just sometimes gets worse, and now it’s really extreme. We’ll see what we can do about it," he said, looking ahead to the setup adjustments allowed in qualifying later today.

F1 Red Bull Max Verstappen Canadian Grand Prix