Max on his chances this weekend: 'Monaco can always bring surprises'

Published on 04 June 2026 by Misha van der Kroon

Following Max Verstappen’s first podium finish of the season in Montreal, attention now turns to the Monaco Grand Prix this weekend, held on the narrow streets of Max’s hometown. During Thursday’s media session, Max looks ahead to the weekend.

Twenty years ago, David Coulthard secured the first podium for Red Bull Racing with a third-place finish in Monaco. Asked whether he could repeat that achievement this weekend, Max replies: “It will depend on many factors. I don’t know yet how the car will feel tomorrow. Realistically, we are quite okay in the low-speed corners, but here the car also needs to work well over the bumps and kerbs, and that’s not our strongest point. We’ll see how things evolve over the weekend. Monaco can always bring surprises.”

According to Verstappen, there is still plenty of room for improvement with the RB22: “You want to improve in every area. You want more grip, more power, you want the brakes to be more efficient, and you want the tyres to operate better. Looking back at Montreal, we were lacking a bit on the straights, but also through the corners over the kerbs and bumps we weren’t the best. The high-speed corners, which you don’t really have here, were not our strongest point either. Hopefully we can move the car in the right direction over the coming races.”

The new regulations have resulted in heavily revised cars for 2026. Still, Max is not yet convinced that this will automatically lead to better racing in Monaco: “I think visibility is slightly better with the current wheels and the cars are a bit more agile at low speed. But the drivability of the car and following in dirty air has become a bit trickier compared to last year, so we’ll see. The cars are still too big and even in Formula 2 and Formula 3 overtaking is difficult. If you’re two or three seconds faster it might be possible, but when you’re fighting the cars around you, you simply can’t overtake. Saturday is still the highlight of the weekend. That’s where you have to deliver, so of course we’ll do our best.”

Despite the difficulty of overtaking, Max still has warm feelings for Monaco: “For me, Monaco is home first and foremost, that outweighs the race itself. I love living here, it’s safe, the people are very friendly and it’s a great place for children. The fact there is also a Grand Prix here is just a bonus. It’s always a crazy weekend. It’s a bit hectic, but it’s great to race here.”

Finally, Max believes that competing in other racing categories also helps him perform better in Formula 1: “It certainly doesn’t hurt our performance. The start of the year was difficult for us, but I also had the dream of racing outside Formula 1 and this is the first year I’ve been able to do that. So I really enjoy racing in other categories and driving different cars. If you can combine that well with Formula 1, it’s a bonus. It’s something I genuinely enjoy and when you then return to the Formula 1 paddock with positive feelings, it can only help.”