Max Verstappen quips that Red Bull ought to ditch radios following challenges at the United States Grand Prix.

Max Verstappen has expressed his frustration over Red Bull's ongoing radio malfunctions, labeling them "a disaster" and humorously suggesting they should switch to sign language for communication.

The four-time champion secured a third-place finish behind Kimi Antonelli and Charles Leclerc at the United States Grand Prix, enduring a race filled with challenges and complications. To compound the issues, the Dutch driver faced radio problems that complicated communication with his team more than necessary.

In the post-race press conference, when questioned about the frustration of encountering these issues for a second time, Verstappen was quick to clarify the situation.

“It’s not the second time. It’s already, I don’t know how many times this year. Maybe we should just start communicating in sign language. It’s probably cheaper as well. It’s a disaster. Yeah, it’s a disaster. It’s really frustrating, to be honest,” he remarked.

Verstappen wasn’t the only Red Bull driver impacted by these issues. His teammate Isack Hadjar, who dropped from third to sixth after the opening lap, mentioned difficulties in hearing his engineers clearly and potentially left the pits with an incorrect engine setting as a result.

“And then I have poor radio coverage. I can’t hear what’s happening in the pits. I leave the pits with the wrong map,” Hadjar told Sky Sports F1.

Radio communication was just one of the multiple issues Verstappen highlighted after the race. He expressed disappointment over the team’s tire selections, criticized a slow pit stop, and pointed out erratic behavior from the power unit, which he claimed hindered his ability to establish a consistent rhythm.

“Too many issues with the power unit, where it was just very inconsistent behavior around the corners, every lap, every corner, different behavior. So, you can’t build up a rhythm, you can’t build any kind of consistency in the car. I had a slow pit stop. So, yeah, too many things today that just didn’t go well.”

This result brought an end to Verstappen's streak of two consecutive victories, having triumphed in Sepang and Singapore, and he acknowledged he was somewhat fortunate to land on the podium.

“We still managed to get on the podium, maybe a little bit lucky with the VSC at the end, but I’ll take it,” he stated.

This marked Verstappen’s 10th podium of the season. However, with five races left, he is now completely out of the championship race. If Mercedes' Antonelli secures a top-nine finish in Mexico next weekend, he will be crowned the 2026 Formula 1 world champion.

Red Bull entered Austin battling McLaren for third place in the constructors’ standings, and Verstappen conceded that the team had not performed to its usual high standards.

“Normally we’re very good at these things, but today we weren’t,” he concluded.

Photos from F1 United States GP - Sunday