Second in Hungary, Max Verstappen claims he has never been so challenged behind the wheel of his Red Bull this season, despite a result well above expectations.
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At first glance, Max Verstappen’s second place at the Hungarian Grand Prix might give the impression that Red Bull has regained form.
However, the Dutchman rejects this interpretation. According to him, the RB22 remained extremely difficult to drive throughout the weekend, and the podium achieved in Budapest should not mask the team’s underlying problems.
After a difficult qualifying, where he described the car as “impossible to drive,” Verstappen hoped for some improvements for the race.
But nothing changed.
“No. It was exactly the same. Anyway, you can’t change much after qualifying, so I knew it would be difficult… and it was.”
“One of the toughest races of the year”
The four-time world champion explains that he had to fight against his car at every corner.
Between unstable balance, significant oversteer, and a lack of grip, he feels he was never able to drive naturally.
“Honestly, I think it was one of the most difficult races of this season in terms of feel behind the wheel. I had to manage the car’s balance corner after corner.”
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Under these conditions, Verstappen considers his second place almost an achievement.
“Finishing on the podium is, in my eyes, an incredible result for us.”
A result beyond expectations
Before the weekend, many imagined the Hungaroring as a circuit favorable to Red Bull.
Its long slow corners and short straights seemed likely to mitigate the weaknesses of the RB22, especially in terms of power deployment.
The reality was quite different.
Verstappen struggled during practice, qualifying, and the race, while Isack Hadjar also had to settle for sixth place, despite a seventh consecutive Top 6 finish.
Red Bull’s problems are still there
For Verstappen, this podium does not change the diagnosis made about the car.
The balance difficulties observed in Hungary add to those encountered since the start of the season and do not seem to have an immediate solution.
The Dutchman therefore believes that Red Bull will have to continue to maximize every opportunity, even with a car far from ideal.
While the second place obtained in Budapest exceeds the team’s expectations, it is not enough to mask the current limits of the RB22. For Verstappen, this weekend’s performance is above all the result of a perfectly executed race, much more than a real technical progress from Red Bull.
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