Back to today’s briefing

Story perspectives

Verstappen Starts Sprint Seventh, Labels Car “Completely F***ed”

5/24/2026

34 4 Full Breakdown

Summary

Verstappen Struggles Sprint

Max Verstappen started the sprint from seventh after qualifying, saying the RB22’s ride made his feet fly off the pedals and prevented tyre temperatures from reaching.
Pierre Waché (Red Bull director) said the team could not extract performance, with Max Verstappen finishing seventh in the sprint and calling the car “completely f***ed.”
Isack Hadjar qualified eighth for the sprint but retired with a power-unit failure, finishing 21st.

Summary

Verstappen GT3 Failure

Max Verstappen’s Nürburgring 24 Hours GT3 bid ended after a driveshaft failure.
His Red Bull contract triggers an exit if he falls outside the top two by summer, where he sits seventh with 26 points.
FIA 2027 rule proposes a 60-40 split Max Verstappen says would make it enjoyable, which remains unratified, while Mercedes principal Toto Wolff and Red Bull’s Laurent Mekies said chats with Max Verstappen’s father are not a sign of negotiations.

History

Historical Context

McLaren’s 2005 MP4-20 suffered gearbox failures that stripped the team of eight podiums and left Räikkönen fifth with 45 points, prompting the FIA to tighten component-testing rules. Teams now embed performance-based clauses, as seen in Red Bull’s 2024 contract disputes with Verstappen over podium guarantees, reflecting the lasting impact of the 2005 reliability crisis.

1 of 3

Verstappen Struggles Sprint

Max Verstappen started the sprint from seventh after qualifying, saying the RB22’s ride made his feet fly off the pedals and prevented tyre temperatures from reaching.
Pierre Waché (Red Bull director) said the team could not extract performance, with Max Verstappen finishing seventh in the sprint and calling the car “completely f***ed.”
Isack Hadjar qualified eighth for the sprint but retired with a power-unit failure, finishing 21st.

1 / 3