Max Verstappen brands his Red Bull car ‘undriveable’ after a shock Q2 exit in Japan, compounding a troubled start to the 2026 Formula 1 season.
MAX Verstappen delivered a damning verdict on his Red Bull car after a shock early exit in qualifying for the Japanese Grand Prix.
The four-time world champion, who has won the last four races at Suzuka, was eliminated in Q2 and will start a lowly 11th on Sunday’s grid.
He described his RB22 as “undriveable” to Sky Sports F1, compounding a difficult start to the season under new technical regulations.
“The car never turns mid-corner, but at the same time this weekend, it’s just oversteering a lot on entry,” Verstappen explained.
He added that the car’s balance was “really difficult” and “unpredictable,” a stark contrast to his pole position and track-record lap here last year.
The Dutchman believed issues had been partially addressed in final practice but said they returned severely in qualifying.
“We thought we’d fixed it a little bit in FP3, I mean there was still a lot of understeer in the car, but now in qualifying for me it was again undriveable,” he stated.
Verstappen has endured a troubled opening to the 2026 campaign, crashing out in Q3 in Australia and retiring from the Chinese Grand Prix.
He has consistently criticised new Formula One rules mandating a 50-50 split between conventional and electrical power.
The 28-year-old’s frustrations boiled over earlier in the week when he ejected a reporter from a press conference.
He finished sixth in the season opener in Melbourne before his retirement in Shanghai.
“We have problems that I cannot explain in detail here,” Verstappen concluded regarding the car’s persistent issues.