Overview

• The world champion said his RB21 is unlikely to excel at his home race, calling Zandvoort one of Red Bull’s weaker venues on the remaining calendar.
• He drew parallels to the Hungaroring, where he qualified eighth and finished ninth, citing the car’s struggles in medium- and low-speed corners.
• Verstappen noted the car performs better at faster tracks, having taken his two 2025 wins at Suzuka and Imola.
• He flagged incoming weather as a potential disruptor, saying rain could create chaos that might reshape the competitive order.
• Jolyon Palmer predicted a difficult stretch after Zandvoort with Monza, Singapore and Baku, suggesting podium contention is possible but a challenge to the McLarens is unlikely, as Verstappen sits 97 points behind Oscar Piastri with 10 rounds left and plans to use races to learn before next year’s rules overhaul.