Max Verstappen statistic triggering ‘sense of resignation’ among F1 rivals

A single statistic highlighted by Jolyon Palmer shows just how relentless Max Verstappen has been since the Monaco Grand Prix, with the four-time champion triggering a "sense of resignation" among the rest of the F1 grid, in the eyes of the former Renault driver.

Verstappen trailed championship leader Kimi Antonelli by 113 points after the Monaco round, the sixth race of the season. 

But in the 11 races completed since, the Red Bull driver has lost just six points to the Mercedes driver in the standings battle, a run of form Palmer says underlines how dominant Verstappen has been with a car that has steadily improved behind him.

Speaking on the F1 Nation podcast, Palmer pointed to the scale of Red Bull's turnaround in 2026 as central to the story.

"I think that's the incredible thing when you look at the whole picture here: the uptrend for Red Bull is massive," Palmer said. "We've spoken for years about McLaren's turnaround in form.

"A couple of years ago, certainly, it was huge when Lando came from being nowhere to suddenly making us think, 'Can he fight for a championship?' before he did.

"But I think this Red Bull turnaround in form might be, on paper, the biggest, when you look at the percentage difference, if they can cement it through these final races.

"And when you look at Max, he's been delivering at a high level all season. It's not a massive surprise. There have been one or two mistakes, which, for once this year, have shown us that he's human, but generally, his level is still extremely high."

The staggering numbers behind Max Verstappen's 2026 recovery

Palmer then turned to the numbers behind Verstappen's recovery, framing them as evidence of a driver operating on a different plane to the rest of the grid.

"And I was looking through it," added Palmer. "After six races, after Monaco, he was 113 points behind Kimi Antonelli. In the 11 races since, he's lost six points to Kimi.

"If you started the championship after Monaco, Max would be champion. Probably, if you started it before Monaco, by the end of the season, he'd have enough points to be champion.

"That's the incredible form that he's shown when he didn't have the fastest car, and now he does. He's formidable, and I still just think he's got, in terms of driving, I think he's got everyone else almost fearing the battle with him. There's almost a sense of resignation when you take on Max from the rest of the field."

Antonelli still leads the drivers' championship on 340 points after 17 rounds, with Verstappen fourth on 221, behind George Russell and Lewis Hamilton. 

But with six races remaining, starting at the United States Grand Prix this weekend, Palmer's numbers suggest the momentum lies firmly with the Dutchman.