Guenther Steiner, former Haas team principal, has made a bold prediction: Max Verstappen will not win a single grand prix in the 2026 Formula 1 season. Speaking on The Red Flags Podcast, Steiner argued that Red Bull's package is not competitive enough to fight at the front.
Currently, Verstappen sits sixth in the standings with 145 points, 147 behind leader Kimi Antonelli. His best results this year are second places in Austria, Hungary, and Spain. Despite his strong performances, the dominance of Mercedes and McLaren has made it difficult for the four-time champion to secure wins.
"Gas, he will not. Mercedes and McLaren are too strong, and it's just the car," Steiner said in the 'Gas or Brake' segment. "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."
In Madrid, Verstappen capitalised when polesitter Norris lost his lead due to an ill-timed virtual safety car and a slow pitstop. With overtaking opportunities almost non-existent on the new circuit, Verstappen held track position ahead of Norris to finish second. However, he admitted his car's pace is still lacking.
"It's just looking at the lap times, we are quite a bit down still," Verstappen told Sky Sports. "It's a mix of a lot of things, for sure maybe a little bit of deployment, but also the car itself that we still need to improve on, because when Lando was behind me he was flying. He was a lot faster, but just because of the nature of the track he couldn't get by."
Red Bull is currently overshadowed by Mercedes and McLaren. With a long season ahead, Verstappen and the team must work hard to improve. The next race, the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, will take place at the Baku City Circuit on 24-26 September.
Steiner's prediction is sure to spark debate among fans. Will Verstappen truly go winless, or can he turn things around? One thing is clear: the pressure is mounting on the Milton Keynes team.
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