Verstappen Suggests Name Change After Mexico GP Victory
Max Verstappen claimed his sixth Formula 1 victory at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez following a historic Mexico City Grand Prix, and he presented a humorous proposal.
The Dutchman achieved his third victory of the 2026 campaign after completing the 71-lap race on Sunday.
With Andrea Kimi Antonelli securing the final podium position behind Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari, the Mercedes driver was crowned the youngest-ever F1 World Champion.
Verstappen began the race at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez from fifth position on the grid.
Nevertheless, the squabbling pair of Hamilton and Charles Leclerc at the start allowed the 29-year-old to seize the outright lead of the race.
After securing his sixth win at the Circuit, the Red Bull driver hilariously suggested that the organizers consider renaming the event to the ‘Maxico’ GP.
“They should actually call it the ‘Maxico’ Grand Prix,” he told media including Motorsport Week.
“That would be great. I honestly love being here. I love the city, I love the environment, I love the fans.
“But I have no idea why. Sometimes your car just comes alive, and you’ve had good races and not a lot of bad luck sometimes as well.
“It’s just always come together for me here, and, of course, I happily take that.”
Verstappen moved into second place in the drivers’ standings following his win at Mexico.
Max Verstappen reveals “inconsistent” Red Bull issues at F1 Mexico GP
Despite having clean air ahead of him for the majority of the race, Verstappen’s afternoon was not as straightforward as it appeared.
The four-time F1 World Champion revealed he was facing persistent engine braking issues, which had even prompted him to complain over the team radio.
Verstappen described the anomaly as ‘random’ and conceded that Red Bull did not have an answer regarding its root cause.
“It happens randomly. The engine just decides by itself what to do, to be honest. So, I don’t know.
“Maybe I need to have a conversation with the engine before going into the race. Maybe it has to behave better.
“We don’t know. Sometimes it just happens. It’s not very consistent.
“Everything is running so hot here, and also for the turbocharger and everything, it’s tough to make everything spot on.”
Verstappen heads into the race weekend at Interlagos sitting second in the drivers’ standings, still fighting for the vice-champion spot with Hamilton.
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