A difficult year
The season that Max Verstappen is experiencing is without a doubt the toughest and most disappointing for the Dutchman since the 28-year-old joined Red Bull. So far, the four-time world champion has not yet secured a victory, something that has never happened in all his years at Milton Keynes, in a 2026 that mainly sees the battle between Mercedes and Ferrari, with McLaren coming off two wins secured by the reigning world champion Lando Norris.
Read more Leclerc, the interview: “Hamilton and I aligned on the vision for Ferrari and not just for the car”
Fourth win at Monza?
But for the former F1 driver and Verstappen’s compatriot, Christijan Albers, the next Italian Grand Prix could be the right opportunity to allow the Red Bull driver to turn the page, forgetting the last mistake made at Zandvoort and aiming for the first win in this championship. So far, Verstappen has achieved three wins at Monza, the last of which was last season, and in an interview given to De Telegraaf Albers is optimistic about what the outcome of Verstappen’s race could be: “Basically, it is almost impossible to predict how the Italian Grand Prix weekend will unfold, but I am sure that Red Bull, with Max, can be competitive. They are incredibly strong on low downforce circuits“.
Read more Patrese: “Leclerc wins at Monza ahead of Norris and Antonelli”
One aspect that Albers noticed on another fast circuit like Spa-Francorchamps, with Verstappen who could celebrate again at the ‘Temple of Speed’: “Max’s car is fast on the straights, so I expect them to be competitive in Italy – he added – I believe Max can pull off one of the great surprises of the 2026 season at Monza. After that, it will be more difficult for Verstappen; in my opinion, it will probably come down to a duel between Kimi Antonelli on Mercedes and Lando Norris on McLaren. In my view, Max has good chances at Monza, also because Antonelli has to serve a grid penalty for installing new engine components.”
Read more Ferrari: Thierry Baritaud, the head of ERS, leaves
