Max Verstappen, the four-time world champion, has not won a Grand Prix since the start of the 2026 Formula 1 season, and he is still seeking his first victory of the year. After finishing second in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, trailing George Russell by 0.196 seconds, Verstappen now has a winless streak of 15 races. He currently holds sixth place in the championship with 163 points, 139 points behind leader Kimi Antonelli. While he admits that challenging for the title is no longer realistic, Verstappen has set a new goal: to win at least one race before the season concludes. "Unfortunately, we are not scoring more points than Mercedes. They are the fastest, or at least they have been for most of the season," Verstappen said. Despite this, he continues to push for victories with his Red Bull team, which has introduced several updates to the car. These include a revised floor and diffuser, a new configuration of the sidepods, and modifications to the mirrors and halo profile to improve airflow to the rear of the car. Verstappen noted that while the updates showed positive results in Baku, the circuit's unique characteristics may have influenced the outcome. "I think the parts we installed on the car in Baku have worked well. But we also know that Baku has always been a circuit quite favorable to us. It is a very particular track with all these 90-degree corners," he said. The upcoming races, starting with Sepang, will provide a better test for the Red Bull car, as the Malaysian circuit features more fast corners. "There aren't really many fast corners in Baku. Therefore, we need to wait for the next races to see how our car will perform. It is probably a good thing for us to be able to evaluate it on all these different types of circuits," Verstappen added. With the 2026 title now out of reach, Red Bull can use the remaining races to gather data for the upcoming season. "For next year, we will probably learn a lot during the upcoming races about what we need and what we want to do with the car. Anyway, we are not fighting for the championship, so this is a great learning phase for us," Verstappen said. Despite the challenges, Verstappen remains optimistic about the progress made. "I am trying absolutely everything I can. We are getting quite a few podiums now, but I want to win. That's why I'm here and I'm getting closer," he said. The final step remains to be taken: after 15 Grand Prix races without a win, the Dutchman wants to regain victory before the end of the season.