Meanwhile, Yuki Tsunoda was outqualified by Verstappen for the 12th time in as many qualifying sessions since he joined Red Bull, failing to reach Q3/SQ3 for the seventh time in a row; his deficit on the Dutchman was six tenths, and he ended up 12th. It is worth noting that he was not given the upgrades that Verstappen is running this weekend.

Sky Sports F1 pundit Martin Brundle has confidently stated Max Verstappen will stay at Red Bull for 2026. Verstappen has been strongly linked with a move to Mercedes for much of the 2025 season, and both Toto Wolff and George Russell have confirmed talks have been ongoing with Verstappen's team over a potential transfer.