Verstappen Struggles in Hungary: P8 in Qualifying, No Grip in Red Bull

Verstappen: “I didn’t feel comfortable” in the Hungarian Grand Prix

The current world champion, Max Verstappen, expressed his discomfort with his Red Bull during the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend, after qualifying in eighth position for Sunday’s race. Verstappen struggled to find the right balance in his car during the three practice sessions at the Hungaroring. His final position in qualifying represented his best result on track during the weekend.

“There wasn’t a single lap or a single corner where I felt good. The whole weekend has been a slide,” Verstappen stated.

Max Verstappen

“Looking at the whole weekend, I think we’re happy to be in Q3 because I’ve been more outside the top 10 than in it. All weekend I haven’t had grip. Front and rear, and it was the same in qualifying. So for me, it’s really not a surprise, I just drove according to what I already feel all weekend.”

The long-duration and medium-speed corners, which constitute a significant proportion of the Hungaroring, have highlighted some of the Red Bull’s deficiencies. Verstappen pointed out that the performance represented a significant setback compared to the previous year, when he qualified third on the same circuit. “I think we still qualified very close to the pole, within a few hundredths,” he said about his 2024 lap. “So I think we were much more competitive back then. This weekend, right from the first lap, it just didn’t feel right. We shook the car a lot and nothing really gave direction. That is, of course, the biggest problem, because when you change a lot of the setup, it will always give you positives or negatives, and ours just didn’t work. We just went around in circles and nothing gave you any idea of what to do.” Verstappen is currently in third place in the championship, but his chances of defending the title seem increasingly slim, with a difference of 81 points with the leader, Oscar Piastri, who will start second in the Hungarian Grand Prix. When asked what to expect from Sunday’s race, Verstappen added: “There are a few cars ahead of me that I might be able to battle with a bit, but of course, Lewis [Hamilton, in 12th place] is a bit further back and shouldn’t be there, right? So he will move up a bit.”