Guenther Steiner anticipates that Max Verstappen will finish the 2026 F1 season without a victory.
Former Haas Formula 1 team principal Guenther Steiner asserts that four-time champion Max Verstappen will not secure a single grand prix victory during the 2026 F1 season, claiming that Red Bull's setup lacks the necessary competitiveness.
Currently, Verstappen is positioned sixth in the standings with 145 points, trailing championship leader Kimi Antonelli by 147 points. Thus far in the season, the Dutch driver has achieved second place finishes at the Austrian, Hungarian, and Spanish Grands Prix.
During an appearance on The Red Flags Podcast after the Spanish Grand Prix, Steiner was questioned in the show's 'Gas or Brake' segment about whether Verstappen would end the 2026 season without a win.
"Gas, he will not. Mercedes and McLaren are too powerful, and it's just the car," the former Haas team principal stated. "He's not good enough. He will be Super Max, he will be on the podium, but I think that's the limit. That's the limit of that car."
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
In Madrid, Verstappen took advantage when polesitter Norris lost his lead due to a poorly timed virtual safety car and a sluggish pitstop. With few overtaking chances on the new circuit, Verstappen maintained track position ahead of Norris to secure second place.
Following the race, Verstappen spoke to Sky Sports about his speed disadvantage compared to McLaren and Mercedes.
"It's just looking at the lap times, we are still quite a bit behind," he remarked. "It's a combination of many factors, for sure maybe a bit of deployment, but also the car itself that we still need to enhance, because when Lando was behind me, he was flying. He was much quicker, but just due to the nature of the track, he couldn't pass."
The 15th race of the 2026 season, the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, is scheduled for 24-26 September at the Baku City Circuit.
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