Verstappen jokes about Tibet after latest Red Bull setback
"There are still several things in the pipeline"
Max Verstappen joked he may need a two-month retreat to Tibet after another frustrating setback in Red Bull’s difficult 2026 campaign.
Amid intense speculation about his future and hopes that Red Bull’s biggest upgrade package of the season would close the gap to the front, the Dutchman crashed in Q3 while looking capable of at least a front-row challenge.
Initial suspicions pointed to driver error, but the team later concluded the incident was likely caused by a problem with the rear wing or rear suspension.
"It didn’t give Max a chance to survive," team boss Laurent Mekies admitted at the Red Bull Ring. "We take full responsibility as a team and apologise to Max."
Verstappen insisted the upgrades themselves were not to blame.
"These are just upgrades that mean more performance," he said. "That’s not the problem."
Reflecting on another blow in a season full of them so far, Verstappen told De Telegraaf: "We’ve been experiencing some strange things all season, yes.
"I think at the end of the year I’ll go to Tibet and relax like a Buddha for two months.
"These cars are incredibly complicated, with so many things going on. Sometimes, I really do have to count to ten. Or even a hundred."
Still, the quadruple world champion kept the disappointment in perspective.
"We’ve also had many wonderful years. In the end, I don’t worry about it too much.
"Of course, it’s not pleasant, but that’s life."
Mekies said the pace shown before the accident nevertheless vindicated Red Bull’s development direction.
"You could see that Max was very fast. These things happen," said the Frenchman.
"The car might not have been good enough for pole position, but we were able to fight for the front row. That shows that we are making progress and that we are going in the right direction."
Verstappen also indicated that more upgrades are still to come despite the cost cap. "There are still several things in the pipeline," he said.
Asked whether there was enough budget left, he laughed: "Very much! Then they have to spend a little less on the catering."
As for persistent rumours linking him with McLaren for 2027, Verstappen again declined to engage.
"Not much (to say), exactly what I said last year," he told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
"I have a long-term contract with Red Bull and as far as I’m concerned, I’m focused on my job, on getting the best out of myself on the track and with the team.
"There’s nothing new to say."