Verstappen jokes Red Bull could use sign language after another radio failure in Austin
Max Verstappen said his radio failed again at the US Grand Prix and joked that the team might as well communicate in sign language. He called it a disaster. It follows a similar problem in Singapore.
A joke with an edge
Max Verstappen finished third in Austin, but the post-race talk was about radio. Asked about the dropout, he said it was not the first time this year and that he had lost count. His suggestion: "Maybe we should just start communicating in sign language. It's probably cheaper as well." He then called the situation a disaster and said it was really frustrating.
RacingNews365 and Autosport both report the comments. Autosport adds that Verstappen could not hear Tom Hart, who stood in as his race engineer for the weekend. Team-mate Isack Hadjar also had communication problems.
Singapore, then Austin
The problem has a history this season. In Singapore, Gianpiero Lambiase could not hear his driver and Red Bull switched to coded communication, according to Autosport. Team principal Laurent Mekies said the team was taking it very seriously and wanted a strong solution. Austin shows that one has not yet arrived.
More than the radio
Verstappen's list was longer. He said the power unit behaved differently every lap and corner, which stopped him building rhythm, and that a slow pit stop cost seconds in his battle for second. RacingNews365 reports he said the two-stop plan of soft, soft, medium was not agreed beforehand, while Autosport quotes him saying the softs were not working that well. Mekies admitted the strategy had backfired.
By the numbers
Our race data shows Verstappen with two wins and 13 podiums from 18 races in 2026, including a third place in Austin. He has 236 points, fourth in the standings and five behind Lewis Hamilton in third. The next chance to test any radio fix is the Mexico City Grand Prix on 1 November.
