Max Verstappen came agonisingly close to his first victory of the 2026 season at the Austrian Grand Prix in Spielberg.
The Red Bull driver started fifth on the grid and quickly emerged as the primary threat to race winner George Russell throughout the afternoon.
Verstappen ultimately crossed the line just over 1.6 seconds behind Russell, securing a podium but leaving the Red Bull camp wondering what might have been.
Red Bull arrived in Austria with a significant upgrade package designed to close the gap to Mercedes and Ferrari, the two teams who had appeared strongest in recent rounds.
The upgrades clearly delivered meaningful performance gains, yet Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff believes the biggest factor in Red Bull’s competitiveness was Verstappen himself rather than the new parts.
“I’m not surprised at all,” Wolff said when asked whether he was surprised to see Red Bull emerge as the main challenger ahead of Ferrari.
“Red Bull is one thing, but it was Max Verstappen. For me, how it feels is like Max won every single race here that he’s ever participated in, in whatever car. Spielberg is one of his strong places.”
Wolff also noted the curious absence of Ferrari from the leading battle, adding: “The car seems to have been going well and the Ferraris, I don’t know what happened to them.”
Verstappen’s affinity for the Red Bull Ring is well established, having won five Formula 1 races at the Austrian venue, including both the Styrian and Austrian Grands Prix in 2021.
Despite the impressive display, Wolff was reluctant to frame Verstappen as a genuine championship contender following a single strong weekend performance.
When asked whether Verstappen should now be considered a factor in the title fight, Wolff deflected with characteristic wit, suggesting it was an “over-complication” and joking that it sounded like “a George Russell thought.”
He was, however, quick to acknowledge Verstappen’s unique ability to extract the absolute maximum from any machinery he drives.
“Max is always good for playing a role in the championship,” Wolff said, before elaborating on precisely what makes the Dutchman so dangerous.
“That [Red Bull] car performed well this weekend. I think the biggest factor this weekend was Max, to be honest. He’s able to bring out everything that is in that car. You can see that with his team-mates.”
Wolff concluded his assessment with a stark warning to any title contender tempted to write off the three-time champion, saying: “That’s why you can never discount or underestimate the Verstappen factor for a championship.”
In the standings, it is Kimi Antonelli who continues to lead the drivers’ championship after the Italian finished third in Austria.
Antonelli now holds a 40-point advantage over Russell, with Lewis Hamilton sitting third, a further six points adrift of his Mercedes colleague.
Verstappen, collecting only his second podium of the season, remains seventh in the standings and 98 points behind Antonelli with a long fight ahead.