F1 News: Red Bull Insider Reveals What Went Wrong At Hungarian Grand Prix

Alex Harrington | Jul 21, 2024

Jun 9, 2024; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen (NED) races during the Canadian Grand Prix at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-USA TODAY Sports / David Kirouac-USA TODAY Sports

Red Bull consultant Helmut Marko has laid bare the string of strategic errors and misjudgements that led to the team's disappointing performance at the Hungarian Grand Prix. Marko openly acknowledged that the latest upgrades to the Red Bull cars failed to meet expectations, setting a tone of reflection ahead of the forthcoming races.

From the get-go, it became evident that the Hungarian GP would not play out favorably for the Milton Keynes squad. Early in the race, Max Verstappen's aggressive attempt to overtake Lando Norris backfired, leading to a quick restoration of their positions after stewards questioned the legality of the move. This set the stage for a series of flawed strategies and overdriving that would unfold as the race progressed.

The critical evaluation pinpointed significant issues, including Verstappen’s pit stop timing which saw him lose important positions. Throughout the race, Verstappen vocalized his frustrations over the team radio. His grievances ranged from the car's handling - notably braking and cornering - to fundamental race strategies.

"I can't brake. I can't enter corners. Front and rear. It's really bad," complained Verstappen, clearly struggling with the balance of the car.

Helmut Marko succinctly summarized the missteps:

"We completely underestimated how difficult overtaking is here. We thought our speed advantage would be enough, but we couldn't overtake. That's why our strategy was wrong."

As tensions escalated, the 3-time champion's communications reflected growing frustration, even arguing the fairness of race conduct: "OK, so you can just drive people off the track then? You can tell the FIA that's how we're going to race from now onwards. Just driving people off the road."

An attempted overtake on Lewis Hamilton towards the race’s climax resulted in a collision, plunging Verstappen further down the ranks, ultimately settling for a disheartening fifth place.

In response to Verstappen's radio rants, race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase attempted to maintain professionalism, responding, "I'm not getting into this on the radio, it's childish."

Red Bull now looks toward the Belgian Grand Prix, poised to rigorously assess and tweak the recent car updates. The upcoming race at Spa-Francorchamps will be critical for the current leaders.