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Verstappen blasts Red Bull radio issues and bad starts after Austin podium
Max Verstappen finished third at the United States Grand Prix but vented major frustration over recurring radio failures and poor starts.
By Hans van den Broekma - 2026-10-26T09:24:15.000Z - 3 min read
Max Verstappen secured his tenth podium finish of the 2026 Formula 1 season with a third-place result at the United States Grand Prix in Austin, finishing behind Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Charles Leclerc. Despite maintaining an impressive run of six consecutive podium appearances since his accident at Zandvoort, the four-time world champion was far from satisfied with how the weekend unfolded at the Circuit of the Americas. Speaking to the media after the race, the Dutch driver did not hold back in his criticism of the team's ongoing operational hurdles.
Central to Verstappen's frustration was a persistent radio malfunction that severely hindered communication between his cockpit and the pit wall throughout the grand prix. Verstappen revealed that the technical glitch is far from an isolated incident, noting that it has plagued his campaign repeatedly across the 2026 season. The problem also surfaced during the previous round in Singapore, where the team was left unable to hear his transmissions during critical phases of the race. Visibly exasperated by the recurring failure, Verstappen offered a sarcastic remark about the squad's communication equipment.
Maybe we should just start communicating in sign language, Verstappen quipped when discussing the persistent breakdowns, adding that it would probably be cheaper as well. He labelled the situation a disaster and admitted that the ongoing radio troubles are becoming deeply frustrating. To compound matters, the weekend in Austin marked the full-time debut of Tom Hart stepping in as Verstappen's race engineer. Hart has been chosen to replace long-time race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase, who is departing Red Bull for McLaren in a transition that could materialize as early as next season.
The communication gremlins were not isolated to Verstappen's side of the Red Bull garage during the Austin weekend. Team-mate Isack Hadjar confirmed to Sky Sports F1 that he experienced similar radio difficulties over the course of the event. Hadjar explained that poor radio coverage left him unable to hear instructions from the pit lane properly, resulting in him leaving the pits with the incorrect engine map selected on his steering wheel. The shared equipment struggles highlight a broader reliability headache for the Milton Keynes outfit as the season enters its final stretch.
Beyond the radio breakdowns, Verstappen pointed to another recurring weakness that has hampered his performances throughout the year. The Red Bull driver criticized his ongoing struggles with race starts, an issue that resurfaced once again at the Circuit of the Americas. While Verstappen managed to avoid losing positions when the lights went out, he offered a blunt assessment of his launch performance. My start was normal, just consistently poor, he remarked, catching himself before using stronger language that could have drawn the attention of the FIA stewards for swearing.
The weekend in Austin had initially shown considerable promise for the reigning world champion, particularly during Saturday's running. Verstappen demonstrated strong raw pace during qualifying, notably clocking an impressive lap in Q2 that suggested genuine contention for pole position. However, an unexpected loss of grip later in the session derailed that momentum. While the subsequent race recovery salvaged a solid podium finish, the accumulation of operational errors, recurring radio failures, and ongoing launch issues left the Red Bull driver demanding immediate improvements from his team.