Author of a spectacular attack on Lewis Hamilton in Hungary, Max Verstappen reveals why he did not hesitate for a single second to dive inside the first corner.
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Max Verstappen’s overtake on Lewis Hamilton at the first corner will remain one of the highlights of the Hungarian Grand Prix.
After the first wave of pit stops, the Ferrari driver had come out ahead of his rival thanks to the Scuderia’s strategy, temporarily relegating the Red Bull off the podium.
But Verstappen had no intention of waiting.
Taking advantage of Liam Lawson’s presence ahead of them approaching the first corner, the Dutchman made a late and perfectly controlled attack to immediately regain third place.
“I knew it was probably my only opportunity, because the Ferraris had a good pace. As soon as I saw the opening, I went for it. It was a nice overtake.”
A revenge on 2024
This maneuver was reminiscent of their duel on the same circuit two years earlier.
During the 2024 Hungarian Grand Prix, Verstappen had already attempted a similar attack on Hamilton at the first corner while the two men were fighting for third place.
That time, the braking was too optimistic: the Red Bull driver locked his front wheels, hit Hamilton’s Mercedes, and took off after the contact.
The stewards then concluded it was a simple racing incident, but this attempt ended in failure.
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In 2026, the scenario was quite different: perfectly judged braking, clean trajectory, and successful overtake.
Hamilton tried to respond
The seven-time world champion, however, did not give up the fight.
Thanks to fresher tires during his last stint, Lewis Hamilton managed to regain the advantage over Verstappen on track.
But his efforts were ultimately nullified when he received a five-second penalty for speeding in the pit lane during the virtual safety car period caused by Oscar Piastri’s retirement.
This penalty dropped him behind his teammate Charles Leclerc in the final standings.
A decisive overtake for the podium
Verstappen ultimately held on to second place until the checkered flag, finishing behind the winner Lando Norris.
Given the difficulties faced by Red Bull throughout the weekend, this attack on Hamilton was undoubtedly the key moment of his race.
The four-time world champion knew he would not have many opportunities against a competitive Ferrari. So he chose to go all out as soon as the opportunity arose… with a success that strongly contrasts with his failed attempt at the same corner two years earlier.
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