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MAX VERSTAPPEN’S BRAZIL WEEKEND SHOCK — PIT LANE START LOOMING

Red Bull may start Max Verstappen from the pit lane at the Brazilian GP after a shocking Q1 exit. The team is considering "drastic changes" to fix the RB21's setup, a move that would break parc fermé rules.

Max Verstappen’s Brazil weekend shock — pit lane start looming
Max Verstappen was dealt a blow in his hopes of closing the gap to Lando Norris as he was knocked out in Q1 at Interlagos - Photo Credit: Getty Images

Red Bull is considering starting Verstappen in the pits following the Q1 shock.

Red Bull appeared to have finally found their stride again when it arrived in Interlagos. They were back in a hole by the end of qualifying, and they were facing a humiliating call that might force Max Verstappen to start in the pit lane on Sunday.

The RB21 was obviously lacking in speed and grip in all the wrong spots, and teammate Yuki Tsunoda was similarly unable to get out of the first sector after Verstappen was knocked out in Q1. Between the Sprint and qualification, the team reversed the cars out of the parc fermé, followed a daring course, and ended up getting lost. The dilemma now is whether to rip it up, break parc fermé once more, and start from the pits, or to double down on a misfiring configuration.

Helmut Marko was straightforward. Despite being fully aware that doing so would require Verstappen to launch from the pits rather than the P16 he now drives, he told Austrian TV that Red Bull will sit down and determine whether "drastic alterations" are required to wake the car up. Marko's conclusion was straightforward: Red Bull did not increase, the track climbed up, and grip vanished where it mattered. The stopwatch verified that Sectors 1 and 3 were the warning signs.

Just when Verstappen had established a run of six consecutive podium finishes to bolster his title challenge following Lando Norris' surge at the front, this is a gut punch. The wobble was previously hinted at in Mexico: Verstappen's podium there was more down to skill than speed in a race that Norris controlled, and Red Bull supplied bits but failed to receive the return. The group believed they had grasped the direction. Brazil disagrees.

The voice was regretful within the garage. When you roll the dice before quali and snake eyes appear, it is "the price you pay," as Laurent Mekies put it. The RB21 fell out of its sweet spot despite Red Bull's best efforts to expand its window for Interlagos' bumps and quick changes. It was apprehensive upon entrance, lethargic on traction, and far from compliant during the quick direction change at the Senna "S" and the sprint back up the hill during qualifying trim.

What is the play, then? Rather than violate parc fermé, take a pit-lane start, and give Verstappen a car he can really race with, why not stick with a problematic package and trust him to brute-force something out of it starting on 16th? If the car reacts, Interlagos may reward a clean, aggressive Sunday with chances offered by DRS trains and tyre life. Pit lane becomes less of a punishment and more of a reset if you are Red Bull and you think the baseline is essentially incorrect.

That path has a strategic advantage. The team is able to make ride height, wing, and mechanical adjustments that could extend the RB21's operating window and safeguard the back tyres, which is crucial in this situation, thanks to a pit-lane start. Interlagos loves a curveball, and if Safety Cars mess up the order, it also opens up an off-sequence approach. The danger is clear: by sacrificing track position, you could have recovered with a clean first lap and a focus on safety. Everyone in the garage wearing navy blue usually ends up with a car that Verstappen can rely on as a reward.

We all see the wider picture. Red Bull cannot afford to let free points linger in a setup sheet as Norris leads the rankings going into São Paulo. Even though Verstappen has been making podiums out of weak weekends, this one needs more than just tyre expertise. It must be reset.

Soon, we will be able to tell which way they jump. In any case, Sunday has already evolved into a test of a different kind for Verstappen and damage limitation for Red Bull. The nasty weekends, where you battle the car just as much as the field, are often crucial to title runs. This is among them. It might also be the day that Red Bull's season turns around if they have the courage. Otherwise, be prepared for a long afternoon attempting to get an uncooperative RB21 to cooperate around a circuit that penalises hesitation.

The margin has disappeared. A single swing can transform the automobile from compliant to difficult, and Red Bull's latest improvements have not produced the desired step. That was made public by Brazil. Who can adjust more quickly, the driver in the cockpit or the engineers on the pit wall? You would bet on the latter with Verstappen. However, the team must allow him to succeed.

THE 2026 ULTIMATUM: WHY NEXT SEASON IS "MAKE OR BREAK" FOR LEWIS HAMILTON

After a winless 2025 debut, Lewis Hamilton faces a pivotal year. See why Steiner believes the 7x champ is nearing the F1 exit.

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Hamilton’s exit clock is ticking

Guenther Steiner, who used to run the Haas team, thinks Lewis Hamilton might quit Formula 1 if Ferrari can't get to the top of the Driver's Championship by 2026—he thinks that season will be super important for the racing star.

Hamilton had a tough first year with Ferrari, ending up sixth in the F1 rankings with 156 points.

That was 86 points behind his teammate, Charles Leclerc, and he didn't even get on the podium once, which is a first for him in a full season.

He often said he was bummed out about how his Ferrari debut was going.

Back in November, after the Las Vegas Grand Prix, he told Sky Sports, I feel awful. This has been the worst season ever, and it just keeps getting worse no matter how hard I try. I'm trying everything I can, both in and out of the car.

Hamilton looked pretty sad a lot during the season because he couldn't really fight for race wins.

Steiner told Sports Krone, I think if Ferrari has a good car next season, Hamilton might be able to turn things around. If they are more competitive, Lewis might find his drive again. But if things stay the same, next season will probably be his last in Formula 1. He's not going to go through that again. The situation is tough for him, and you could see that in every interview. So, the next season will be key for him.

What's Hamilton saying about quitting?

When the media asks Hamilton about his F1 future, he doesn't want to talk about retiring.

At the end of the season, when someone asked him what he would say to those who think he might retire soon, the 40-year-old said, I wouldn't say anything to them. None of them have done what I've done, so they don't know anything more than I do.

Last summer, after some rumors that he might leave early, Hamilton said he's staying at Ferrari until his contract is up.

He said, For those writing stories about me thinking about not racing, I've just started here with Ferrari. I've been here for a few years, and I'm in it for the long run, so there's no question about what I'm focused on achieving with this team. There are zero doubts, so please stop making stuff up.

In 2026, everyone will still be wondering about Hamilton's future in F1, mainly if Ferrari keeps struggling with the new rules. And if Steiner is right, another year of not competing for a championship could be the end for him.

MAX VERSTAPPEN NAMED PEER-VOTED DRIVER OF THE YEAR FOR FIFTH CONSECUTIVE SEASON

Max Verstappen wins his 5th straight F1 peer award, beating champion Lando Norris. Lewis Hamilton drops out of the top 10 for the first time.

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Verstappen Wins Fifth Straight Peer Award

Max Verstappen copped his fifth straight driver-of-the-year award in Formula 1's secret peer vote, even though he almost grabbed a fifth title in 2025 but didn't quite make it.

The drivers all voted in secret, except for four guys. The Red Bull driver beat out Lando Norris, who just won the world championship, for the number one spot.

The voting worked like the normal F1 points system. Drivers ranked their top 10 rivals. Verstappen got 25 points from six votes to win.

Norris, who won his first championship after a crazy season, came in second in the driver rankings for the second year running.

The McLaren driver won the title after fighting off pressure from Verstappen and his teammate, Oscar Piastri, all season long.

George Russell took third, moving up one spot from last year. The Mercedes driver had a killer season with two wins and seven more podiums.

Piastri was fourth, up one spot, even though his championship hopes fizzled out near the end. The Aussie was leading by 34 points at one point before his performance dropped off.

Charles Leclerc finished fifth, down two spots, even though he got everything he could out of Ferrari's SF-25. The Monegasque driver had seven podiums during a tough season that saw Ferrari finish fourth.

Carlos Sainz held onto sixth after a great comeback at Williams. After a rough start, the Spaniard grabbed two podiums in a strong second half of the season.

Fernando Alonso jumped two spots to seventh, and the two-time world champion had some crazy drives in Aston Martin's AMR25.

Alex Albon took eighth after his best season with Williams, while rookies Oliver Bearman and Isack Hadjar rounded out the top 10, getting props for their awesome first seasons.

Pierre Gasly almost made the list, even with 10 Q3 appearances in Alpine's tricky A525.

Lewis Hamilton, who's won seven world championships, didn't show up in the rankings, which is a first since they started doing this poll. It shows how rough his first season at Ferrari was.

The four drivers who skipped the vote were Hamilton, Nico Hulkenberg, Lance Stroll, and Yuki Tsunoda.

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