max verstappen 2026: seventh place, no wins, and a Red Bull future under scrutiny
Max Verstappen’s 2026 season is defined by an awkward mid-season reality. Formula1.com’s live championship state dated 2026-07-23 07:01 UTC shows him 7th in the drivers’ standings on 91 points with 0 wins, while Red Bull are 4th in the constructors’ table on 151 points and also winless.
That matters even more now because the post-Belgian reporting has pushed his future back into focus. The next race is the Hungarian Grand Prix at the Hungaroring in Budapest on 2026-07-26 at 13:00:00Z, and the latest reports mean Verstappen arrives there with both his results and his Red Bull future under scrutiny.
Driver comparison: where Verstappen sits in the 2026 picture
Formula1.com’s live championship state dated 2026-07-23 07:01 UTC shows Verstappen far from the title lead, even if he is close to a few rivals just above him in the standings.
| Driver | Position | Points | Wins | Gap to Verstappen |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andrea Kimi Antonelli | 1 | 204 | 6 | 113 |
| Lewis Hamilton | 2 | 159 | 1 | 68 |
| George Russell | 3 | 154 | 2 | 63 |
| Charles Leclerc | 4 | 126 | 0 | 35 |
| Lando Norris | 5 | 103 | 0 | 12 |
| Oscar Piastri | 6 | 92 | 0 | 1 |
| Max Verstappen | 7 | 91 | 0 | 0 |
The headline number is the one at the top: Andrea Kimi Antonelli leads the 2026 standings on 204 points with 6 wins. Verstappen is 113 points back.
He is also behind Lewis Hamilton in second on 159 points with 1 win, and George Russell in third on 154 points with 2 wins. The tighter comparison is with Oscar Piastri, who sits just one point ahead of Verstappen, 92 to 91.
Why Belgium changed the conversation
PlanetF1.com reported on 20 July 2026 that Verstappen’s future took an “unexpected turn” after the Belgian Grand Prix. Sky Sports then reported that Red Bull boss Laurent Mekies admits uncertainty over whether Verstappen will remain with the team next season, despite Verstappen being contracted to Red Bull.
Formula 1’s Belgian Grand Prix race-week coverage also quoted Verstappen saying he needed a few days “to reset and try again” after a frustrating incident. That same coverage also said he faced questions about his future plans.
Taken together, those reports explain why the post-Belgian discussion is not just about a poor run of results. It is about whether a winless, seventh-place season is starting to change the shape of Verstappen’s Red Bull story.
Red Bull’s slump gives the future noise more weight
Formula1.com’s live constructors’ state dated 2026-07-23 07:01 UTC shows why the pressure around Verstappen is landing so heavily on Red Bull. The team are 4th on 151 points with 0 wins, while Mercedes lead on 358 points with 8 wins.
| Constructor | Position | Points | Wins |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mercedes | 1 | 358 | 8 |
| Ferrari | 2 | 285 | 1 |
| McLaren | 3 | 195 | 0 |
| Red Bull | 4 | 151 | 0 |
That gap does not settle Verstappen’s future on its own. But it does show why the questions around him now carry more weight than they would in a stronger Red Bull season.
Hungary is the next checkpoint
The next race is Round 11, the Hungarian Grand Prix, and it comes at a useful moment for Verstappen and Red Bull alike. Formula1.com lists it for 2026-07-26 at 13:00:00Z at the Hungaroring in Budapest.
| Round | Grand Prix | Circuit | City | Date | Start Time (UTC) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Hungarian Grand Prix | Hungaroring | Budapest | 2026-07-26 | 13:00:00Z |
For Verstappen, Hungary is the next chance to interrupt a season that has so far brought 7th place, 91 points, zero wins, and growing uncertainty over his Red Bull future.