Max Verstappen secured an unexpected second place at the Hungarian Grand Prix. The Dutchman praises Red Bull’s work after a complicated weekend.
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Max Verstappen caused a surprise by taking the second step of the podium at the Hungarian Grand Prix. Starting fourth due to penalties inflicted on Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Antonelli, the Red Bull driver perfectly exploited the opportunities that arose to achieve his best result of the season, tied with a previous second place.
After a weekend marked by a lack of performance from his RB22 and a sixth place in qualifying, the four-time world champion did not expect to leave Budapest with such a result.
“I didn’t expect to be on the podium today. We worked very hard to achieve this result.”
A decisive start and a rewarding strategy
Verstappen quickly put all the odds in his favor by getting the better of Charles Leclerc in the first corners.
Subsequently, despite a car he had deemed difficult to drive throughout the weekend, the Dutchman remained in the race thanks to a well-executed strategy by Red Bull.
After his first stop, he notably managed to regain the advantage over Lewis Hamilton.
“The start went well and I managed to gain a position in the first corners. After the stop, I was able to get back ahead of Lewis, then I just tried to survive with these tires and this strategy. I am very happy to be here.”
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A spectacular attack on Hamilton
One of the highlights of the race occurred when Verstappen launched a very late attack on Lewis Hamilton under braking for the first corner.
A spectacular maneuver that the Red Bull driver believes he perfectly mastered.
“I saw that it was probably my only opportunity. I was well placed under braking and everything was perfectly under control.”
This attack allowed him to continue his comeback before then taking advantage of various strategic twists to definitively settle into second place.
Red Bull leaves with a smile
Even though Lando Norris proved untouchable at the front of the race, this second place is a particularly encouraging result for Red Bull.
After a weekend where the Austrian team seemed to be behind McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes, Verstappen managed to maximize the potential of his car and limit the damage in the championship.
Enough to offer a reason for satisfaction to the team before the summer break, despite an overall performance that still lags behind the best cars on the grid.
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