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2 winners, 2 losers from WNBA opening weekend (so far) We’re less than 24 hours into the WNBA season, and only 6 of the league’s 15 teams have made their season debuts. Still, let’s take a look at some way-too-early winners and losers from the first couple of games of the 2025-2026 WNBA season.Winner: Sonia Citron, Washington MysticsSonia Citron had a spectacular rookie season, and she started her sophomore year right where she left off. Citron was dominant in the Mystics’ 68-65 win over the Toronto Tempo on Friday night, posting a game-high 26 points on 9-12 FG and 3-6 from three. She also racked up 2 steals and 2 blocks, continuing to show signs of being one of the WNBA’s elite two-way guards.Washington Mystics head coach Sydney Johnson praised Citron’s performance.“Her normal is a lot of other people’s great,” he said. Winner: Kaitlyn Chen, Golden State ValkyriesKaitlyn Chen was a third-round draft pick in 2025 and was cut by the Valkyries in the middle of her rookie season. But she had a tremendous offseason, made Golden State’s opening night roster, and looked tremendous in the season debut, tallying 14 points on 5-10 shooting, 2 assists, and 0 turnovers off the bench in a 91-80 win over the Seattle Storm.After the game, Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase credited Chen for her offseason work.“She’s been working,” Nakase said. “That’s credit to her in the offseason, right? Just putting in extra time. She came, you know, to the bay for a couple of weeks too, to work on her game after she went overseas.”“Just her ability to score on all three levels, that’s basically what she did. And I mean, you saw her playing AU. She just took over the games. It was really nice to kind of see that carry over.”Loser: The 2026 rookie classIt’s extremely early, but the 2026 WNBA draftees look like they’re going to need a little bit more time. So far, only one rookie has scored double-digit points: Seattle Storm guard Flau’jae Johnson, who tallied 12 points on 25% shooting in Friday night’s loss to the Golden State Valkyries.No. 1 pick Azzi Fudd came off the bench for the Dallas Wings and scored 3 points on 1-2 shooting in 18 minutes. No. 2 pick Awa Fam is still overseas, and No. 4 pick Lauren Betts went scoreless in her Mystics debut.It’s early, and the rookies made their impact in other ways, but the first 24 hours of the WNBA season did not do anything to dispel the notion that the 2026 draft class is mostly filled with future role players.Loser: The Connecticut SunThe Sun were absolutely crushed by the New York Liberty on opening night. They led 36-13 after the first quarter, and never let go of the rope, ultimately winning 106-75. The Liberty are one of the WNBA’s most loaded teams, and the Sun are in the midst of a rebuild, but it was not the start to the season that Connecticut was hoping for.Only three players scored in double-figures: Diamond Miller (16 points), Aneesah Morrow (15 points), and Brittney Griner (13 points). As a collective, Connecticut shot 39% from the field, 18% from three, and 47% from the three-point line.Facing the Liberty on opening night is a tough way to start, and the Sun were without Leila Lacan, who was one of their best players last season. Still, it was not an optimal start to their last-ever season in Connecticut. #winners #losers #WNBA #opening #weekend

2 winners, 2 losers from WNBA opening weekend (so far)

We’re less than 24 hours into the WNBA season, and only 6 of the league’s 15 teams have made their season debuts. Still, let’s take a look at some way-too-early winners and losers from the first couple of games of the 2025-2026 WNBA season.

Winner: Sonia Citron, Washington Mystics

Sonia Citron had a spectacular rookie season, and she started her sophomore year right where she left off. Citron was dominant in the Mystics’ 68-65 win over the Toronto Tempo on Friday night, posting a game-high 26 points on 9-12 FG and 3-6 from three. She also racked up 2 steals and 2 blocks, continuing to show signs of being one of the WNBA’s elite two-way guards.

Washington Mystics head coach Sydney Johnson praised Citron’s performance.

“Her normal is a lot of other people’s great,” he said.

Winner: Kaitlyn Chen, Golden State Valkyries

Kaitlyn Chen was a third-round draft pick in 2025 and was cut by the Valkyries in the middle of her rookie season. But she had a tremendous offseason, made Golden State’s opening night roster, and looked tremendous in the season debut, tallying 14 points on 5-10 shooting, 2 assists, and 0 turnovers off the bench in a 91-80 win over the Seattle Storm.

After the game, Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase credited Chen for her offseason work.

“She’s been working,” Nakase said. “That’s credit to her in the offseason, right? Just putting in extra time. She came, you know, to the bay for a couple of weeks too, to work on her game after she went overseas.”

“Just her ability to score on all three levels, that’s basically what she did. And I mean, you saw her playing AU. She just took over the games. It was really nice to kind of see that carry over.”

Loser: The 2026 rookie class

It’s extremely early, but the 2026 WNBA draftees look like they’re going to need a little bit more time. So far, only one rookie has scored double-digit points: Seattle Storm guard Flau’jae Johnson, who tallied 12 points on 25% shooting in Friday night’s loss to the Golden State Valkyries.

No. 1 pick Azzi Fudd came off the bench for the Dallas Wings and scored 3 points on 1-2 shooting in 18 minutes. No. 2 pick Awa Fam is still overseas, and No. 4 pick Lauren Betts went scoreless in her Mystics debut.

It’s early, and the rookies made their impact in other ways, but the first 24 hours of the WNBA season did not do anything to dispel the notion that the 2026 draft class is mostly filled with future role players.

Loser: The Connecticut Sun

The Sun were absolutely crushed by the New York Liberty on opening night. They led 36-13 after the first quarter, and never let go of the rope, ultimately winning 106-75. The Liberty are one of the WNBA’s most loaded teams, and the Sun are in the midst of a rebuild, but it was not the start to the season that Connecticut was hoping for.

Only three players scored in double-figures: Diamond Miller (16 points), Aneesah Morrow (15 points), and Brittney Griner (13 points). As a collective, Connecticut shot 39% from the field, 18% from three, and 47% from the three-point line.

Facing the Liberty on opening night is a tough way to start, and the Sun were without Leila Lacan, who was one of their best players last season. Still, it was not an optimal start to their last-ever season in Connecticut.

#winners #losers #WNBA #opening #weekend

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We’re less than 24 hours into the WNBA season, and only 6 of the league’s 15 teams have made their season debuts. Still, let’s take a look at some way-too-early winners and losers from the first couple of games of the 2025-2026 WNBA season.

Winner: Sonia Citron, Washington Mystics

Sonia Citron had a spectacular rookie season, and she started her sophomore year right where she left off. Citron was dominant in the Mystics’ 68-65 win over the Toronto Tempo on Friday night, posting a game-high 26 points on 9-12 FG and 3-6 from three. She also racked up 2 steals and 2 blocks, continuing to show signs of being one of the WNBA’s elite two-way guards.

Washington Mystics head coach Sydney Johnson praised Citron’s performance.

“Her normal is a lot of other people’s great,” he said.

Winner: Kaitlyn Chen, Golden State Valkyries

Kaitlyn Chen was a third-round draft pick in 2025 and was cut by the Valkyries in the middle of her rookie season. But she had a tremendous offseason, made Golden State’s opening night roster, and looked tremendous in the season debut, tallying 14 points on 5-10 shooting, 2 assists, and 0 turnovers off the bench in a 91-80 win over the Seattle Storm.

After the game, Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase credited Chen for her offseason work.

“She’s been working,” Nakase said. “That’s credit to her in the offseason, right? Just putting in extra time. She came, you know, to the bay for a couple of weeks too, to work on her game after she went overseas.”

“Just her ability to score on all three levels, that’s basically what she did. And I mean, you saw her playing AU. She just took over the games. It was really nice to kind of see that carry over.”

Loser: The 2026 rookie class

It’s extremely early, but the 2026 WNBA draftees look like they’re going to need a little bit more time. So far, only one rookie has scored double-digit points: Seattle Storm guard Flau’jae Johnson, who tallied 12 points on 25% shooting in Friday night’s loss to the Golden State Valkyries.

No. 1 pick Azzi Fudd came off the bench for the Dallas Wings and scored 3 points on 1-2 shooting in 18 minutes. No. 2 pick Awa Fam is still overseas, and No. 4 pick Lauren Betts went scoreless in her Mystics debut.

It’s early, and the rookies made their impact in other ways, but the first 24 hours of the WNBA season did not do anything to dispel the notion that the 2026 draft class is mostly filled with future role players.

Loser: The Connecticut Sun

The Sun were absolutely crushed by the New York Liberty on opening night. They led 36-13 after the first quarter, and never let go of the rope, ultimately winning 106-75. The Liberty are one of the WNBA’s most loaded teams, and the Sun are in the midst of a rebuild, but it was not the start to the season that Connecticut was hoping for.

Only three players scored in double-figures: Diamond Miller (16 points), Aneesah Morrow (15 points), and Brittney Griner (13 points). As a collective, Connecticut shot 39% from the field, 18% from three, and 47% from the three-point line.

Facing the Liberty on opening night is a tough way to start, and the Sun were without Leila Lacan, who was one of their best players last season. Still, it was not an optimal start to their last-ever season in Connecticut.

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Over the past few seasons, Tarik Skubal has been one of the best, if not the best, pitchers in the sport. Since 2023, Skubal has the second-lowest ERA among pitchers with at least 50 starts and ranks 9th in total strikeouts, despite having 13 fewer starts than every pitcher above him on that list. The two Cy Youngs are a culmination of his continued dominance, but now his upcoming free-agent decision looms large for the Detroit Tigers.

Skubal is a Scott Boras client. If you know anything about Boras guys, it’s not common for any of them to take team-friendly deals to stay in smaller markets, so this could very well be his final season in Detroit.

At this moment, the Tigers are 44-52, good for 4th in the AL Central, but are still only 3.5 games back of the final Wild Card spot. Detroit closed out the first half of the regular season strong, going 9-3, and got as close as 4.5 games of the Central division.

In a normal year, the season would be all but over for the Tigers, but fortunately they’re playing in one of the worst American Leagues we’ve ever seen. The trade deadline is August 3rd, so Detroit has five series to decide whether to make a playoff push or sell. Only one of those series is against a team over .500, and three of the other four series are against the three worst teams in the American League.

Detroit isn’t out of it yet

Detroit is finally getting healthier, and a playoff push isn’t out of the question, but that doesn’t make them a contender. Skubal and Casey Mize make one of the best 1-2 punches in baseball, but the lineup is terrible.

Last season blinded Detroit to a flawed lineup. Most of the lineup outperformed their expected stats and have plummeted back to Earth this year. Kevin McGonigle, Riley Greene, and Dillon Dingler are a very solid top of the order, and Gelyber Torres should return from injury soon, but I’m just not very sold on this team.

The return you can get on a guy like Skubal can change the long-term direction of your organization. Mason Miller was dealt at the deadline for four players who are now the first, fourth, and twelfth-ranked players in the Athletics farm system. Skubal would only be a rental, but if you could land a top 10-20 prospect in the sport, I think you have to do it.

Unless Detroit is going to shock the world and pay Skubal’s massive extension, I think the Tigers should start preparing for a world without their ace. This team’s not strong enough to contend and will only set themselves back if they hold on to Skubal.

#Tigers #Moving #Tarik #Skubal #Trade #Deadline #Deadspin.com">Why Tigers Should Consider Moving Tarik Skubal at the Trade Deadline | Deadspin.com Over the past few seasons, Tarik Skubal has been one of the best, if not the best, pitchers in the sport. Since 2023, Skubal has the second-lowest ERA among pitchers with at least 50 starts and ranks 9th in total strikeouts, despite having 13 fewer starts than every pitcher above him on that list. The two Cy Youngs are a culmination of his continued dominance, but now his upcoming free-agent decision looms large for the Detroit Tigers.Skubal is a Scott Boras client. If you know anything about Boras guys, it’s not common for any of them to take team-friendly deals to stay in smaller markets, so this could very well be his final season in Detroit.At this moment, the Tigers are 44-52, good for 4th in the AL Central, but are still only 3.5 games back of the final Wild Card spot. Detroit closed out the first half of the regular season strong, going 9-3, and got as close as 4.5 games of the Central division.In a normal year, the season would be all but over for the Tigers, but fortunately they’re playing in one of the worst American Leagues we’ve ever seen. The trade deadline is August 3rd, so Detroit has five series to decide whether to make a playoff push or sell. Only one of those series is against a team over .500, and three of the other four series are against the three worst teams in the American League.Detroit isn’t out of it yetDetroit is finally getting healthier, and a playoff push isn’t out of the question, but that doesn’t make them a contender. Skubal and Casey Mize make one of the best 1-2 punches in baseball, but the lineup is terrible.Last season blinded Detroit to a flawed lineup. Most of the lineup outperformed their expected stats and have plummeted back to Earth this year. Kevin McGonigle, Riley Greene, and Dillon Dingler are a very solid top of the order, and Gelyber Torres should return from injury soon, but I’m just not very sold on this team.The return you can get on a guy like Skubal can change the long-term direction of your organization. Mason Miller was dealt at the deadline for four players who are now the first, fourth, and twelfth-ranked players in the Athletics farm system. Skubal would only be a rental, but if you could land a top 10-20 prospect in the sport, I think you have to do it.Unless Detroit is going to shock the world and pay Skubal’s massive extension, I think the Tigers should start preparing for a world without their ace. This team’s not strong enough to contend and will only set themselves back if they hold on to Skubal. #Tigers #Moving #Tarik #Skubal #Trade #Deadline #Deadspin.com

looms large for the Detroit Tigers.

Skubal is a Scott Boras client. If you know anything about Boras guys, it’s not common for any of them to take team-friendly deals to stay in smaller markets, so this could very well be his final season in Detroit.

At this moment, the Tigers are 44-52, good for 4th in the AL Central, but are still only 3.5 games back of the final Wild Card spot. Detroit closed out the first half of the regular season strong, going 9-3, and got as close as 4.5 games of the Central division.

In a normal year, the season would be all but over for the Tigers, but fortunately they’re playing in one of the worst American Leagues we’ve ever seen. The trade deadline is August 3rd, so Detroit has five series to decide whether to make a playoff push or sell. Only one of those series is against a team over .500, and three of the other four series are against the three worst teams in the American League.

Detroit isn’t out of it yet

Detroit is finally getting healthier, and a playoff push isn’t out of the question, but that doesn’t make them a contender. Skubal and Casey Mize make one of the best 1-2 punches in baseball, but the lineup is terrible.

Last season blinded Detroit to a flawed lineup. Most of the lineup outperformed their expected stats and have plummeted back to Earth this year. Kevin McGonigle, Riley Greene, and Dillon Dingler are a very solid top of the order, and Gelyber Torres should return from injury soon, but I’m just not very sold on this team.

The return you can get on a guy like Skubal can change the long-term direction of your organization. Mason Miller was dealt at the deadline for four players who are now the first, fourth, and twelfth-ranked players in the Athletics farm system. Skubal would only be a rental, but if you could land a top 10-20 prospect in the sport, I think you have to do it.

Unless Detroit is going to shock the world and pay Skubal’s massive extension, I think the Tigers should start preparing for a world without their ace. This team’s not strong enough to contend and will only set themselves back if they hold on to Skubal.

#Tigers #Moving #Tarik #Skubal #Trade #Deadline #Deadspin.com">Why Tigers Should Consider Moving Tarik Skubal at the Trade Deadline | Deadspin.com

Over the past few seasons, Tarik Skubal has been one of the best, if not the best, pitchers in the sport. Since 2023, Skubal has the second-lowest ERA among pitchers with at least 50 starts and ranks 9th in total strikeouts, despite having 13 fewer starts than every pitcher above him on that list. The two Cy Youngs are a culmination of his continued dominance, but now his upcoming free-agent decision looms large for the Detroit Tigers.

Skubal is a Scott Boras client. If you know anything about Boras guys, it’s not common for any of them to take team-friendly deals to stay in smaller markets, so this could very well be his final season in Detroit.

At this moment, the Tigers are 44-52, good for 4th in the AL Central, but are still only 3.5 games back of the final Wild Card spot. Detroit closed out the first half of the regular season strong, going 9-3, and got as close as 4.5 games of the Central division.

In a normal year, the season would be all but over for the Tigers, but fortunately they’re playing in one of the worst American Leagues we’ve ever seen. The trade deadline is August 3rd, so Detroit has five series to decide whether to make a playoff push or sell. Only one of those series is against a team over .500, and three of the other four series are against the three worst teams in the American League.

Detroit isn’t out of it yet

Detroit is finally getting healthier, and a playoff push isn’t out of the question, but that doesn’t make them a contender. Skubal and Casey Mize make one of the best 1-2 punches in baseball, but the lineup is terrible.

Last season blinded Detroit to a flawed lineup. Most of the lineup outperformed their expected stats and have plummeted back to Earth this year. Kevin McGonigle, Riley Greene, and Dillon Dingler are a very solid top of the order, and Gelyber Torres should return from injury soon, but I’m just not very sold on this team.

The return you can get on a guy like Skubal can change the long-term direction of your organization. Mason Miller was dealt at the deadline for four players who are now the first, fourth, and twelfth-ranked players in the Athletics farm system. Skubal would only be a rental, but if you could land a top 10-20 prospect in the sport, I think you have to do it.

Unless Detroit is going to shock the world and pay Skubal’s massive extension, I think the Tigers should start preparing for a world without their ace. This team’s not strong enough to contend and will only set themselves back if they hold on to Skubal.

#Tigers #Moving #Tarik #Skubal #Trade #Deadline #Deadspin.com

Death, taxes, and speculation about Max Verstappen’s Formula 1 future.

The sport has been dominated in recent weeks by speculation over Verstappen’s future with Red Bull, keyed by some difficult sessions this season. After crashes during qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix and in the closing stages of the British Grand Prix — with Verstappen chasing a podium finish — it is confirmed that he cannot rise to the top two spots in the Drivers’ Championship standings by the summer shutdown, which comes after the Hungarian Grand Prix next weekend.

With that, according to multiple reports, a clause in his Red Bull contract can be triggered, giving him an out for the 2027 season.

Sprinkle in a dash of the general frenzy that is the F1 driver transfer market, and you have arguably the dominant story ahead of this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix.

And despite his manager, Raymond Vermeulen, tamping down those rumors recently, the F1 world got a chance to hear from the driver himself on Thursday in the buildup to this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix.

And Verstappen made it clear that his focus is elsewhere.

Mainly, on turning the season around, and his “future” driving for Red Bull.

“There’s nothing to say,” answered Verstappen when asked about the speculation during the FIA Press Conference on Thursday. “I don’t want to say yes and no, and this and that about my future. I said already many times that if there was something new, I would say it myself.”

The driver then addressed the recent struggles, as well as his efforts alongside the team to right the ship.

“Now we’re just looking to the future trying to fix current issues that we have on the car, but that’s an open discussion,” he said. “Yes, sometimes you get a little bit disappointed or upset after a race, but for example after Silverstone, you go home and you reset.

“On Wednesday I was back at the factory and then you prepare again for the weekends ahead. That’s how I’ve been operating in all the years together. And of course, some years are just a little bit more competitive than others, but in terms of my approach and how we work as a team, nothing really changes.”

Part of that process is a focus on the rear wing of the RB22. That component — the revolving design referred to as the “Macarena” wing in the media — has been identified as the reason for those two high-speed crashes from Verstappen in recent weeks. The driver called the situation “super dangerous” when speaking to the media after the crash in Silverstone, and the team will reportedly shelve the component for this weekend.

But in terms of his future beyond Spa, Verstappen remained adamant on Thursday.

“Red Bull are like a second family to me,“ added the driver.

Here at SB Nation we are talking F1 every hour, every day. Join the discussion at the new F1 Feed, a community for Formula 1 fans!

#Belgian #Grand #Prix #Max #Verstappen #focused #future #Red #Bull">Belgian Grand Prix: Max Verstappen is focused on the ‘future’ at Red Bull Death, taxes, and speculation about Max Verstappen’s Formula 1 future.The sport has been dominated in recent weeks by speculation over Verstappen’s future with Red Bull, keyed by some difficult sessions this season. After crashes during qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix and in the closing stages of the British Grand Prix — with Verstappen chasing a podium finish — it is confirmed that he cannot rise to the top two spots in the Drivers’ Championship standings by the summer shutdown, which comes after the Hungarian Grand Prix next weekend.With that, according to multiple reports, a clause in his Red Bull contract can be triggered, giving him an out for the 2027 season.Sprinkle in a dash of the general frenzy that is the F1 driver transfer market, and you have arguably the dominant story ahead of this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix.And despite his manager, Raymond Vermeulen, tamping down those rumors recently, the F1 world got a chance to hear from the driver himself on Thursday in the buildup to this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix.And Verstappen made it clear that his focus is elsewhere.Mainly, on turning the season around, and his “future” driving for Red Bull.“There’s nothing to say,” answered Verstappen when asked about the speculation during the FIA Press Conference on Thursday. “I don’t want to say yes and no, and this and that about my future. I said already many times that if there was something new, I would say it myself.”The driver then addressed the recent struggles, as well as his efforts alongside the team to right the ship.“Now we’re just looking to the future trying to fix current issues that we have on the car, but that’s an open discussion,” he said. “Yes, sometimes you get a little bit disappointed or upset after a race, but for example after Silverstone, you go home and you reset.“On Wednesday I was back at the factory and then you prepare again for the weekends ahead. That’s how I’ve been operating in all the years together. And of course, some years are just a little bit more competitive than others, but in terms of my approach and how we work as a team, nothing really changes.”Part of that process is a focus on the rear wing of the RB22. That component — the revolving design referred to as the “Macarena” wing in the media — has been identified as the reason for those two high-speed crashes from Verstappen in recent weeks. The driver called the situation “super dangerous” when speaking to the media after the crash in Silverstone, and the team will reportedly shelve the component for this weekend.But in terms of his future beyond Spa, Verstappen remained adamant on Thursday.“Red Bull are like a second family to me,“ added the driver.Here at SB Nation we are talking F1 every hour, every day. Join the discussion at the new F1 Feed, a community for Formula 1 fans! #Belgian #Grand #Prix #Max #Verstappen #focused #future #Red #Bull

dominated in recent weeks by speculation over Verstappen’s future with Red Bull, keyed by some difficult sessions this season. After crashes during qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix and in the closing stages of the British Grand Prix — with Verstappen chasing a podium finish — it is confirmed that he cannot rise to the top two spots in the Drivers’ Championship standings by the summer shutdown, which comes after the Hungarian Grand Prix next weekend.

With that, according to multiple reports, a clause in his Red Bull contract can be triggered, giving him an out for the 2027 season.

Sprinkle in a dash of the general frenzy that is the F1 driver transfer market, and you have arguably the dominant story ahead of this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix.

And despite his manager, Raymond Vermeulen, tamping down those rumors recently, the F1 world got a chance to hear from the driver himself on Thursday in the buildup to this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix.

And Verstappen made it clear that his focus is elsewhere.

Mainly, on turning the season around, and his “future” driving for Red Bull.

“There’s nothing to say,” answered Verstappen when asked about the speculation during the FIA Press Conference on Thursday. “I don’t want to say yes and no, and this and that about my future. I said already many times that if there was something new, I would say it myself.”

The driver then addressed the recent struggles, as well as his efforts alongside the team to right the ship.

“Now we’re just looking to the future trying to fix current issues that we have on the car, but that’s an open discussion,” he said. “Yes, sometimes you get a little bit disappointed or upset after a race, but for example after Silverstone, you go home and you reset.

“On Wednesday I was back at the factory and then you prepare again for the weekends ahead. That’s how I’ve been operating in all the years together. And of course, some years are just a little bit more competitive than others, but in terms of my approach and how we work as a team, nothing really changes.”

Part of that process is a focus on the rear wing of the RB22. That component — the revolving design referred to as the “Macarena” wing in the media — has been identified as the reason for those two high-speed crashes from Verstappen in recent weeks. The driver called the situation “super dangerous” when speaking to the media after the crash in Silverstone, and the team will reportedly shelve the component for this weekend.

But in terms of his future beyond Spa, Verstappen remained adamant on Thursday.

“Red Bull are like a second family to me,“ added the driver.

Here at SB Nation we are talking F1 every hour, every day. Join the discussion at the new F1 Feed, a community for Formula 1 fans!

#Belgian #Grand #Prix #Max #Verstappen #focused #future #Red #Bull">Belgian Grand Prix: Max Verstappen is focused on the ‘future’ at Red Bull

Death, taxes, and speculation about Max Verstappen’s Formula 1 future.

The sport has been dominated in recent weeks by speculation over Verstappen’s future with Red Bull, keyed by some difficult sessions this season. After crashes during qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix and in the closing stages of the British Grand Prix — with Verstappen chasing a podium finish — it is confirmed that he cannot rise to the top two spots in the Drivers’ Championship standings by the summer shutdown, which comes after the Hungarian Grand Prix next weekend.

With that, according to multiple reports, a clause in his Red Bull contract can be triggered, giving him an out for the 2027 season.

Sprinkle in a dash of the general frenzy that is the F1 driver transfer market, and you have arguably the dominant story ahead of this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix.

And despite his manager, Raymond Vermeulen, tamping down those rumors recently, the F1 world got a chance to hear from the driver himself on Thursday in the buildup to this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix.

And Verstappen made it clear that his focus is elsewhere.

Mainly, on turning the season around, and his “future” driving for Red Bull.

“There’s nothing to say,” answered Verstappen when asked about the speculation during the FIA Press Conference on Thursday. “I don’t want to say yes and no, and this and that about my future. I said already many times that if there was something new, I would say it myself.”

The driver then addressed the recent struggles, as well as his efforts alongside the team to right the ship.

“Now we’re just looking to the future trying to fix current issues that we have on the car, but that’s an open discussion,” he said. “Yes, sometimes you get a little bit disappointed or upset after a race, but for example after Silverstone, you go home and you reset.

“On Wednesday I was back at the factory and then you prepare again for the weekends ahead. That’s how I’ve been operating in all the years together. And of course, some years are just a little bit more competitive than others, but in terms of my approach and how we work as a team, nothing really changes.”

Part of that process is a focus on the rear wing of the RB22. That component — the revolving design referred to as the “Macarena” wing in the media — has been identified as the reason for those two high-speed crashes from Verstappen in recent weeks. The driver called the situation “super dangerous” when speaking to the media after the crash in Silverstone, and the team will reportedly shelve the component for this weekend.

But in terms of his future beyond Spa, Verstappen remained adamant on Thursday.

“Red Bull are like a second family to me,“ added the driver.

Here at SB Nation we are talking F1 every hour, every day. Join the discussion at the new F1 Feed, a community for Formula 1 fans!

#Belgian #Grand #Prix #Max #Verstappen #focused #future #Red #Bull
ENG vs IND 2nd ODI, Live Score: India 104/2 (18); Jacks dismisses struggling Rohit Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill walk out to open the batting for the visitor. Jofra Archer takes the new ball for the host.Rohit on strike, first ball, right on the money from Archer, thick outside edge to deep backward point for a single. Short ball down leg to Gill, umpire signals wide.Gill defends, dot ball. Width on offer from Archer, Gill toe edges the cut to deep third for a single. Archer nails the tight line and length, Rohit defends, no run.Test match leave on the outside off stump ball from Rohit. Ooooh Archer pitches it up and gets the ball to nick back in, beats Rohit’s drive. Tidy first over, just the three runs off it.  #ENG #IND #2nd #ODI #Live #Score #India #Jacks #dismisses #struggling #Rohit

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