Verstappen suffering from "flu-like" illness as Zandvoort exposes Red Bull's fundamental problems

With three victories since the Dutch Grand Prix returned to the calendar in 2021, Max Verstappen can already look back on a very successful period. The final edition in 2026 has proven an ordeal so far, both in terms of Red Bull’s pace and Verstappen’s physical condition.

"I've felt better before, yes," Verstappen admitted during the Dutch media session in the paddock after qualifying. "I feel a bit flu-like and I’m just not feeling as much energy as normal."

Asked whether that also affects his performance behind the wheel, he continued: "No, I don’t think so. I think once you’re in the car, it’s actually fine."

It does mean Verstappen is experiencing his final home race somewhat differently and is mainly looking forward to the moment he can get some rest: "Of course I still enjoy all the fans in the grandstands, but apart from that, I’m mostly looking forward to getting some sleep."

Why Zandvoort exposes some fundamental Red Bull problems

Aside from Verstappen’s physical condition, Red Bull is also struggling for performance at the circuit in the dunes. The home hero had to settle for seventh on the grid and was more than four tenths behind polesitter Lando Norris in qualifying.

"We changed quite a lot on the car after the sprint, but none of it made any difference," Verstappen said when asked by Autosport.

According to Verstappen, the Zandvoort circuit exposes some of Red Bull’s weaknesses to an exaggerated degree

Photo by: Simon Galloway / LAT Images via Getty Images

"The balance of the car is the biggest problem. It’s just not consistent throughout the entire corner, but it has been like that all season. It’s just a little worse at some circuits than at others."

In that respect, Zandvoort is a track that exposes the RB22’s weaknesses more than most.

"It depends on the tarmac sometimes, but also on the layout of the track. This one is for sure not our best layout, but we just need to work on it. We can guess on what track it might be a little bit better, but we need to try and just dial it out."

Verstappen added that, in his view, it is not so much related to set-up, as Red Bull has tried everything in that respect: "I think we’re now simply more limited by some fundamental problems with the car that we need to solve.

"At this circuit you also have some fast corners and we’re lacking there as well. In general, if you don’t have a good balance, you can’t really attack the corners. And if you don’t have traction either, you can’t get out of the corners properly, so all of that costs time."

It means Verstappen considers seventh place the maximum achievable result on Sunday under normal circumstances, particularly if there is no chaos caused by rain.

Without rain, Verstappen reckons that P7 will be the best he can hope for in his final home race

Photo by: Simon Galloway / LAT Images via Getty Images

It may not be the Zandvoort farewell he had hoped for, although the four-time world champion stresses that the Dutch GP era as a whole has already been a great success.

"It’s absolutely the end of an era," he said. "To have had your own home race and to have been able to win it a few times is very special. Of course, it’s a shame that it’s going away, but on the other hand, it has also given me a lot of great moments and memories."

Whether another memorable moment will be added remains to be seen, but Verstappen took a pragmatic view in conclusion.

"I’m really only satisfied when we win, but that’s going to be very difficult tomorrow," he said. "We’ve been a little too slow throughout this season and that’s not suddenly going to change in Zandvoort, but we’re just going to try to enjoy it one last time."