Red Bull pilots express concerns about the start in Mexico, with Max Verstappen quipping, “A Le Mans start would be just as fast.”

“But you can't predict that beforehand. Perhaps tomorrow we’ll look back and think, ‘That fifth place wasn’t so bad after all’,” Verstappen chuckled during his media round with Dutch outlets in the paddock.

A more significant concern than the grid penalty is that Red Bull has been experiencing difficulties with its starts throughout the 2026 season, and the lengthy run to Turn 1 could exacerbate that issue in Mexico.

Team principal Laurent Mekies has already noted that Red Bull won't be able to fully address this issue this year, as changes to the hardware, including the clutch, will only be feasible in 2027.

Nonetheless, Mekies remains optimistic that Red Bull can still make strides this year with the existing hardware, having already made considerable improvements compared to the season opener in Melbourne.

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

However, when Motorsport.com inquires whether Verstappen feels any more confident about the start than he has in recent weeks, his response is succinct:
“No, not really, if I’m being completely honest.”

This sentiment is partly due to the free practice sessions in Mexico City, where the practice starts did not go smoothly either. On Friday, the four-time world champion remarked over the team radio: “I think I could sprint faster off the line. Like, I do the start at the end of the pit lane, disaster.

"I do another start, another disaster. Why aren’t we just changing something? Or maybe it’s better if I do a Le Mans start, you know? I run, push the car and jump in. And then take off for the race.”

When this comment is mentioned during the Dutch media session, Verstappen laughs: “Maybe we should actually try that. I think it would be just as quick!”

On a slightly more serious note, Verstappen conveys that there isn’t much he can do to avoid a repeat of the start issues. “There are a few factors, but they’re more related to the procedures [on the team’s end]. But the start itself, there’s not a lot I can control.”

This aligns perfectly with the remarks made by Verstappen and teammate Isack Hadjar in Austin, where both drivers indicated that despite following the procedures correctly behind the wheel, the outcomes were still not as expected.

Hadjar is hopeful that the start will improve compared to recent weeks, but he also stresses that it will be venturing into the unknown—especially after various technical issues earlier in the weekend.

“I hope it will be better, but we’ve worked very hard this weekend. Unfortunately, in FP1, we didn’t get much track time and had no practice starts. We had some decent ones this morning, with a reasonable feeling, so let’s see tomorrow. We’re going to need it!”