Starting 20th on the grid, Max Verstappen made a great comeback to sixth place in Melbourne, but tire degradation prevented him from going further.
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Max Verstappen finished the 2026 Australian Grand Prix in sixth place after a catastrophic start from 20th position. Despite this handicap, the four-time world champion managed to methodically overtake the midfield cars, adopting a clean and thoughtful approach.
“It was okay, we had more pace than the midfield teams, so I needed to move up quickly and cleanly, which I did. I was able to use the battery, observe the battle management, and it was positive” said the Red Bull driver.
This first phase of the race allowed him to better understand the new energy management modes and the overtaking strategies of the 2026 car, which constitutes a positive point despite the difficulties encountered.
Tires slow down progress
After isolating himself from the pack, Verstappen noticed a rapid degradation of his tires, which limited his strategic options and prevented any bold attempt to move further up the rankings.
“I was then on my own, I found my rhythm, but the two hard tire compounds didn’t work for us, there was a lot of degradation and graining, and that forced us into a two-stop strategy” explains the Dutchman.
This degradation slowed him down in his fight to compete with the Mercedes and Ferrari, revealing Red Bull’s current limits against the leaders.
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A realistic but ambitious vision
Despite this delay, Verstappen remains philosophical and focused on the season’s goal: closing the gap with Mercedes and Ferrari to become competitive again.
“I can’t be worried because it won’t change anything. We’re going to work with the team to close this gap, step by step, in order to become more competitive” he explains.
For him, the important thing is not the immediate final position, but consistency and preparation for the upcoming races. “In the end, it doesn’t matter whether we’re third or fourth. We are aiming for first place. We are simply working to reach that goal consistently.”
A “not really fair” race
While the comeback was impressive, Verstappen didn’t really enjoy this race, being faced with cars that were much slower.
“No, not really. The overtakes were nice, but I also find myself against cars two seconds slower. For me, it’s just about moving up the field” he concludes.
The performance nevertheless shows the mastery and patience of the Dutchman, who was able to limit the damage while preparing for the next stages of the 2026 F1 season.
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