Martin Brundle explained what Max Verstappen meant by “car degradation” after the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Read more Mercedes faces a strategic choice: an engine penalty looms for Russell and Antonelli
Max Verstappen may have finished second in the Hungarian Grand Prix, but the Red Bull driver never seemed fully satisfied with his car.
Throughout the race, the four-time world champion sent multiple radio messages reporting handling issues, notably mentioning a lack of downforce, unstable balance, and irregular gearbox behavior.
Despite these difficulties, the Dutchman managed to secure another podium, benefiting notably from Lewis Hamilton’s late pit stop under the virtual safety car to take second place.
Martin Brundle also praised his performance.
“Max Verstappen spent much of the race complaining about aerodynamic degradation, poor car behavior, and irregular gear changes, but he still finished an excellent second place after several nice overtakes on Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari.”
Brundle defends Hamilton
One of the highlights of the race came when Verstappen regained the lead over Hamilton with a very late braking into the first corner.
On the radio, the Red Bull driver had implied that his rival had been particularly aggressive on the brakes.
An analysis that Martin Brundle does not share.
“Max thought Lewis was a bit hard on him at braking, but that was not the case.”
For the former Formula 1 driver, the Briton’s maneuver remained perfectly within the rules.
Read more Charles Leclerc no longer understands Ferrari: “We are performing where we should be struggling”
What did Verstappen mean by “car degradation”?
After the finish, a statement from Verstappen raised many questions when he mentioned “degradation” of his car during the race.
Martin Brundle provided clarifications on this often misunderstood comment.
According to him, the Red Bull driver was not referring to progressive wear of the car, but to a loss of aerodynamic efficiency caused by damage.
Very penalizing damage under the floor
According to information gathered by Brundle, the Red Bull had suffered damage to its aerodynamic elements, particularly under the floor.
These damages can notably appear after repeated passes over aggressive curbs.
“I was told that if the Red Bull suffers damage to its aerodynamic elements, especially under the floor, for example by going over an aggressive curb, it causes a much greater loss of downforce than on other cars, and therefore a loss of grip. That is what Max meant when he talked about aerodynamic degradation.”
This explanation aligns with Verstappen’s statements after the race, when he revealed having discovered that his RB22 was damaged once out of the car. Despite these difficulties, the Dutchman still managed to secure a solid second place, a result that Red Bull considers better than their weekend expectations.
Read more Ralf Schumacher demands a harsher penalty against Sainz: “It is totally unacceptable”