What Verstappen thinks strong stand-ins have exposed about F1

At the 2026 Dutch Grand Prix, stand-in drivers Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda delivered strong qualifying performances, with Lawson finishing just 0.115 seconds slower than Red Bull's Max Verstappen and Tsunoda only 0.102 seconds off Racing Bulls regular Arvid Lindblad in Q2. Tsunoda had minimal preparation, with only a single day of simulator work in the 2026 VCARB-03 before the weekend. Four-time world champion Verstappen suggested these performances expose how much easier the 2026 F1 cars are to drive at the limit in qualifying, attributing it to the cars' unique energy demands reducing the need for aggressive, high-skill one-lap efforts.