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Max Verstappen ‘misunderstood’ as Red Bull deliver 2026 second seat update – RacingNews365 Review
Max Verstappen’s mentoring and advice-giving to rookies Isack Hadjar and Gabriel Bortoleto have received praise, with former team-mate Alex Albon considering him “possibly the most misunderstood driver” in F1. Red Bull celebrated Verstappen’s 200th Grand Prix milestone at the Hungarian Grand Prix, despite a somber race for the four-time F1 drivers’ champion. Helmut Marko revealed that evaluations for Red Bull’s driver pairing for the next season will commence “after the summer break,” as the second Red Bull seat remains open for 2026 with Yuki Tsunoda’s contract ending this season.
Juan Pablo Montoya warns that life will get “harder” for Charles Leclerc at Ferrari with Lewis Hamilton’s increasing influence in the team, predicting challenges for his team-mate. Lando Norris downplays the need to unsettle Oscar Piastri to win the F1 drivers’ championship, with the McLaren driver asserting that the competition won’t matter in the long run since “we’ll all be dead.” Toto Wolff attributes Kimi Antonelli’s struggles in his rookie F1 season to Mercedes’ inconsistent car, stating that the W16’s difficulties make it tougher for the young Italian driver to adapt.
