Max Verstappen described his car as 'undriveable' after a shocking Q2 exit at Suzuka, where he qualified 11th at a track he dominated in recent years. The Dutch driver, who has taken the last four pole positions at the Japanese Grand Prix, was eliminated while teammate Isack Hadjar progressed to Q3 and finished eighth.

This marks the first time Verstappen has been beaten on pure pace in Grand Prix qualifying since September 2024 in Azerbaijan. The Red Bull driver has visibly struggled with the car's handling, particularly in medium to high-speed corners, scoring just eight points after two rounds of the 2026 season. Verstappen suggested he was running a different aero package that weekend, but it failed to improve performance.

Team principal Laurent Mekies admitted that nobody at Red Bull is happy with the current situation, describing it as a difficult period for the team that dominated the previous five seasons. The squad brought new sidepods, floor, and engine cover to Suzuka, but Verstappen's issues persisted. Mekies emphasized that the team is pushing hard to understand and address the balance problems while acknowledging they're unable to extract maximum performance from the current package.