Max Verstappen has moved to cool expectations around Red Bull’s strong form in Monaco qualifying, insisting the performance should not be mistaken for a turning point in the season.
The reigning world champion delivered one of Red Bull’s strongest Saturdays of the year in Monte Carlo, lining up second on the grid behind Kimi Antonelli and narrowly missing out on pole position.
It was a result that raised eyebrows across the paddock, especially given the team’s known difficulties with kerb riding and low-speed compliance – both heavily exposed around the streets of Monaco.
But while the result suggested progress, Verstappen refused to overinterpret it.
Monaco masks Red Bull’s weak spots
The tight, low-speed nature of the Principality often forces teams into extreme setup compromises, and Verstappen believes that reality played a significant role in Red Bull’s apparent step forward.
"You always have to run the car reasonably soft here in terms of set-up and suspension," Verstappen explained to Dutch media after qualifying. "In that area, it was better, but it is still our limitation when it comes to going faster."
Despite the strong grid position, the Dutchman was frank about how unexpected the result felt even inside the garage.
"In that respect, I'm still a bit surprised that we were ultimately fighting for pole position," he said. "Of course, we changed a few things after the third practice session, but it wasn't that much."
Red Bull’s RB22 has shown flashes of competitiveness this season, but also inconsistency—particularly over bumps and kerbs where balance issues have repeatedly surfaced. Monaco, unusually, appeared to soften those weaknesses rather than expose them.
However, Verstappen was unconvinced that the circuit itself had flattered the car in any meaningful way.
"Normally, that wouldn't be the case."
Mekies urges perspective after power unit setback
Any optimism from Saturday was quickly overshadowed by Sunday’s brutal setback, when Verstappen’s race ended before it had even begun due to a power unit failure during the formation lap. Red Bull has since traced the issue, though the team did not divulge its conclusions.
Team boss Laurent Mekies offered a measured explanation of the failure while stressing that the situation was not the result of ongoing systemic concerns.
“We have identified what the issue is”, said the Frenchman. “It developed on the formation lap and it gave him or us no chance. So that's what it is.
“As you may be aware, it was also the very first PU of Max this season, which was planned to be changed after Monaco.
©Red Bull
“It's not what we wanted. Obviously, we can only apologise to Max because the job he had done with the team to get to that level of pace around Monaco was outstanding.
“Probably early days to discuss what the fix is, but we think we have identified what the issue is.”
Read also: F1i Driver Ratings for the 2026 Monaco Grand PrixAttention now turns immediately to Barcelona, where Verstappen will run a fresh power unit and Red Bull expects a more representative reading of its overall performance.
With this week’s event offering a more traditional mix of high-speed corners, braking zones, and aerodynamic load, Red Bull will finally get a clearer answer to the question Monaco temporarily clouded: whether its recent qualifying surge was progress – or simply circumstance.
For now, Verstappen’s message is simple: don’t read too much into it.
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