Verstappen: Red Bull's P3 is 'the only thing' that matters

Max Verstappen says he does not care whether he finishes runner-up in the 2026 drivers’ championship, insisting Red Bull’s push for third in the constructors’ standings is his only priority. The four-time world champion is fourth, six points behind George Russell, but says only first place matters to him.

Why it matters:

Red Bull’s late-season surge has transformed a difficult campaign into a genuine constructors’ fight. After Verstappen crashed out on the opening lap at Zandvoort, Red Bull was 76 points behind third-placed McLaren. Six straight podiums since Monza—including wins in Bahrain and Singapore—have pulled Red Bull level with McLaren on 355 points. Red Bull holds P3 on countback with four second places to McLaren’s two.

The details:

• Verstappen: “I don’t really care, because it’s only about first. So for me, I don’t care if I’m second or fifth.”
• He added: “The only thing that we want to try and achieve is to be P3 in the Constructors’.”
• The Monza upgrades sparked the turnaround, but Verstappen says the RB22 still needs work: “We are nowhere near satisfied enough.”

What’s next:

With Red Bull and McLaren tied, every point will matter in the final rounds. Verstappen’s focus is on protecting P3 rather than chasing Russell or Lewis Hamilton in the drivers’ table. Red Bull also expect further changes for next year as they try to close the gap to the front.