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While reigning 2025 World Champion Lando Norris surged to pole position during Saturday’s qualifying session for the 2026 Hungarian Grand Prix, Max Verstappen found himself fighting a losing battle against his own car.
The four-time world champion could only muster a lap time of 1:17.725, relegating him to sixth place on the starting grid. However, it wasn’t just the half-second gap to Norris that defined Red Bull’s afternoon—it was a dramatic loss of control and a sheer lack of drivability that left Verstappen absolutely fuming over the team radio.
As the Q3 shootout reached its climax, Red Bull’s struggles with mechanical grip became painfully obvious. Pushing hard on his final flying lap to salvage a spot on the front two rows, Verstappen suffered an uncharacteristic spin through the final corner of the Hungaroring.
The incident instantly ruined his lap and seemingly compromised the RB22’s floor and aerodynamic balance. According to the onboard broadcast, Verstappen was highly vocal about the total loss of rear downforce immediately following the incident.
“The car is just completely broken aerodynamically,” Verstappen vented to the pit wall. “It’s just getting worse and worse! What a joke… what a crap weekend.”
The frustration is completely understandable. The tight, twisting nature of the Budapest circuit demands absolute confidence in a car’s aerodynamic balance, and losing the rear end in the final corner highlights a fundamental disconnect between the chassis and the track surface.
BUDAPEST, HUNGARY – JULY 25: Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving the (3) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB22 Red Bull Ford Powertrains on track during final practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Hungary at Hungaroring on July 25, 2026 in Budapest, Hungary. (Photo by Steven Tee/LAT Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool // SI202607250263 // Usage for editorial use only //
In an effort to de-escalate the situation after the spin, Red Bull Team Principal Laurent Mekies jumped onto the radio channel to offer reassurance and acknowledge the severity of the setup flaw.
“Super difficult out there, Max. We know what you’re feeling,” Mekies stated. “We’ll try to fix what we can tomorrow.”
Verstappen, however, was not easily consoled as he brought the car back to the pits, bluntly replying: “I’m sorry, but for me it’s just completely undrivable. It’s really, really bad.”
With Verstappen starting from the third row—and his Red Bull teammate Isack Hadjar qualifying just behind him in eighth—the team faces a massive uphill battle for Sunday’s Grand Prix. Under parc fermé conditions, mechanics are strictly limited in the changes they can make to the suspension and aero balance before the race. Red Bull will need to rely heavily on strategy and tire management if they hope to salvage a podium finish against the dominant pace of McLaren, Ferrari, and Mercedes.
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The four-time world champion could only muster a lap time of 1:17.725, relegating him to sixth place on the starting grid. However, it wasn’t just the half-second gap to Norris that defined Red Bull’s afternoon—it was a dramatic loss of control and a sheer lack of drivability that left Verstappen absolutely fuming over the team radio.
As the Q3 shootout reached its climax, Red Bull’s struggles with mechanical grip became painfully obvious. Pushing hard on his final flying lap to salvage a spot on the front two rows, Verstappen suffered an uncharacteristic spin through the final corner of the Hungaroring.
The incident instantly ruined his lap and seemingly compromised the RB22’s floor and aerodynamic balance. According to the onboard broadcast, Verstappen was highly vocal about the total loss of rear downforce immediately following the incident.
“The car is just completely broken aerodynamically,” Verstappen vented to the pit wall. “It’s just getting worse and worse! What a joke… what a crap weekend.”
The frustration is completely understandable. The tight, twisting nature of the Budapest circuit demands absolute confidence in a car’s aerodynamic balance, and losing the rear end in the final corner highlights a fundamental disconnect between the chassis and the track surface.
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BUDAPEST, HUNGARY – JULY 25: Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving the (3) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB22 Red Bull Ford Powertrains on track during final practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Hungary at Hungaroring on July 25, 2026 in Budapest, Hungary. (Photo by Steven Tee/LAT Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool // SI202607250263 // Usage for editorial use only //
Red Bull Attempts Damage Control
In an effort to de-escalate the situation after the spin, Red Bull Team Principal Laurent Mekies jumped onto the radio channel to offer reassurance and acknowledge the severity of the setup flaw.
“Super difficult out there, Max. We know what you’re feeling,” Mekies stated. “We’ll try to fix what we can tomorrow.”
Verstappen, however, was not easily consoled as he brought the car back to the pits, bluntly replying: “I’m sorry, but for me it’s just completely undrivable. It’s really, really bad.”
With Verstappen starting from the third row—and his Red Bull teammate Isack Hadjar qualifying just behind him in eighth—the team faces a massive uphill battle for Sunday’s Grand Prix. Under parc fermé conditions, mechanics are strictly limited in the changes they can make to the suspension and aero balance before the race. Red Bull will need to rely heavily on strategy and tire management if they hope to salvage a podium finish against the dominant pace of McLaren, Ferrari, and Mercedes.
Continue reading...
