Italian GP 2026: Verstappen confirms issue

Max Verstappen said a problem appeared at the start of Italian Grand Prix qualifying, leaving the Red Bull driver sixth on the Monza grid.

Max Verstappen said a problem appeared at the start of Italian Grand Prix qualifying and left him sixth on the grid at Monza, as reported by Formula1.com. The Red Bull driver went into the weekend sixth in the 2026 drivers' championship on 112 points, and he arrived with 71 wins, 51 pole positions and 129 podiums from 242 Formula 1 starts.

Red Bull had already shown signs of a difficult weekend on Friday. Motorsport.com reported that both of the team's cars were behind a Racing Bulls and a Haas in practice, despite pre-weekend expectations that Monza could suit the team better than Zandvoort.

RaceFans also reported Verstappen's frustration in final practice, when he complained over team radio about a lack of power. That added context to the issue he later confirmed after qualifying.