Max Verstappen has publicly criticized Red Bull’s decision to ignore his car setup preferences during qualifying for the Canadian Grand Prix, where the four-time world champion could only secure sixth place on the grid. The Dutch driver expressed frustration with his team’s approach at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, revealing that Red Bull had chosen to pursue their own setup direction despite his feedback.
Speaking to Dutch media after Saturday’s qualifying session, Verstappen described the experience as confusing and problematic. “A lot of things from this qualifying session are very difficult to understand,” he explained. “Throughout the session I had very little top speed and simply no grip. I don’t know. I didn’t get any information from the team either, so it was clear that we couldn’t solve it during the session.” The Red Bull driver struggled with tire temperature management and aerodynamic balance throughout the session.
Verstappen revealed that the experimental setup was entirely the team’s initiative, not his preference. “We did something different with my car, that’s what the team wanted,” he stated. “Clearly, that doesn’t work the way it should. But sometimes you also have to let the team do their thing and make clear that it doesn’t work. I said, ‘Go ahead, if you think this is going to work, then do it.’ And clearly, it doesn’t work.” He emphasized that he had previously warned against this approach multiple times.
The championship leader confirmed that his teammate’s car received a different setup configuration, noting that Red Bull specifically chose to test the experimental approach on his RB20. “That’s because they wanted to try it with me, that has been the case for years,” Verstappen explained. He stressed his commitment to competing for victories rather than settling for mid-pack finishes, saying, “I’m not easily satisfied with a car. I want to fight for victory, not for seventh place.”
Following the disappointing qualifying performance, Verstappen made it clear that he would not permit such situations to repeat in the future. The incident also prompted the Red Bull star to renew his previous threat about potentially leaving Formula 1 if the sport’s engine regulations remain unchanged for the 2027 season, highlighting his broader frustrations with both technical and regulatory aspects of the championship.