Verstappen says Monaco making him ‘feel like myself again’

Max Verstappen left Saturday’s Monaco Grand Prix qualifying with an unusually upbeat assessment, saying the unique nature of the Principality’s streets allowed him to reconnect with a more natural driving style in a season he has repeatedly criticised under Formula 1’s current regulations.

The Red Bull driver, long skeptical of the 2026 power unit rules and their heavier reliance on energy management, has often argued that the system can feel artificial and restrictive.

But around the Principality, where low-speed corners and constant braking reduce the need for aggressive battery harvesting, Verstappen felt a rare sense of freedom behind the wheel.

While the current generation of cars and regulations have drawn criticism from Verstappen for their “boost” style energy deployment and management demands, he suggested Monaco offered a welcome exception.

"I think the chassis regulation is not bad at all, so I think in general with the cars being a little bit more narrow, I think it was alright," he began.

"I quite like now the vision on the front axle is a bit better around apexes again, instead of that thing we had above the tyre before [wheel deflector].

"If you can go flat out and you can just select the gears that you want to use in the corners, it's always going to be better. So, I finally felt just myself again in the car, let's say like that, with the way you want to use the gears.

"Unfortunately, of course we can't do that in too many places on the calendar, but that's what that makes it more and more natural to drive."

For Verstappen, the contrast was stark. A season that has often required compromise and adaptation suddenly felt closer to instinct and rhythm on the tight streets of Monte Carlo.

From struggling in FP3 to fighting for pole

The Dutchman also expressed surprise at how competitive Red Bull became after a difficult build-up to qualifying, with the team reportedly struggling for pace in final practice.

Expectations heading into the weekend had been cautious, particularly given Red Bull’s recent sensitivity over bumps and kerbs – a factor that historically complicates Monaco’s middle sector.

But as qualifying unfolded, Verstappen’s outlook shifted dramatically, with the car improving enough to put him firmly in the pole position fight.

"Quite [surprised] after this morning, we were like nine tenths off. I was confident that we would make some improvements heading into qualifying but, yeah, not to fight for pole," the Dutchman explained.

"Honestly, when I jumped into the car I was like, 'okay, let's try and recover a bit, maybe top five'. That was the target, but I'd say from quite early on in qualifying, the car felt a bit better.

"We still have our little problems and especially in the middle sector that's where we lose the most, you have a few curbs that you have to take and there are a few bumps, or ride stuff on the track that is just a little bit more complicated at the moment for our car.

"But I still think that, overall, we had a very good qualifying. We were up there, we were fighting for pole, so even if you would have told me after yesterday where we looked quite okay to be starting on the front row, I would have immediately taken it.

• Monaco Grand Prix - Qualifying results

"It's been a very good turnaround. Yes, I was quite happy, this morning really not happy and now I'm fairly happy again. So that's, of course, good when it matters, you know.

"This was, of course, the most important session of the weekend. Of course, tomorrow there's still a start which this year seems a little bit more critical to get right compared to other years where it was not such a big deal, I would say.

“So that's still something that we have to look at but, yeah, overall for us this has been a very positive weekend."

While Kimi Antonelli ultimately secured pole position, Verstappen’s tone suggested a broader takeaway beyond the result itself – that certain circuits still allow drivers to extract a more instinctive, less managed form of performance.

In a season he has frequently compared to artificial energy deployment systems, Monaco provided something different: a reminder of rhythm, flow, and mechanical connection.

And for Verstappen, that was enough to leave the garage not just competitive – but, in his own words, feeling like himself again.

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