Max Verstappen faced significant difficulties with the grip of his Red Bull RB21 during qualifying at the Hungarian Grand Prix, resulting in an uncharacteristically low eighth-place starting position. The four-time world champion revealed his frustration after struggling on the cold Hungaroring track, which affected his performance throughout the weekend.
The Dutch driver recorded a best lap time of 1:15.728, leaving him 0.356 seconds behind pole-sitter Charles Leclerc. From the start of his final run, Verstappen struggled noticeably with tire grip, which culminated in his heated radio message describing the sensation as akin to driving on ice.
Verstappen’s Qualification and Team Radio Frustrations
During the qualifying session, Verstappen’s grip issues were apparent beginning with his out lap. Addressing the concern over the team radio, he said,
“Already on the out lap, I have again no grip. It’s literally like driving on ice. And then at the last sector the tires still die.”
His lack of traction contributed directly to one of his poorer qualifying results in recent years.
The pole position belonged to Charles Leclerc, who surprised many by outperforming expected favorites. Leclerc was followed by McLaren’s Oscar Piastri in second and Lando Norris in third. George Russell secured fourth place, while Fernando Alonso rounded out the top five. Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll took sixth, with Gabriel Bortoleto, Red Bull’s Liam Lawson, and Isack Hadjar completing the top ten qualifiers.
Reflections on a Difficult Weekend for Verstappen
After the session, Verstappen openly shared his disappointment and struggles during the post-qualifying interview with Sky Sports. He described his experience across all sessions as uniformly challenging, commenting,
“Every session was difficult, so, it doesn’t make a difference.”
When pressed about his earlier remarks comparing the track conditions to ice, he confirmed the persistent nature of the problem:
“That’s been every session. The whole weekend. Quali was the same.”
Verstappen’s difficulties extended beyond qualifying. His practice sessions showed a similar trend, with a ninth-place finish in FP1, then dropping to 14th in FP2 and 12th in FP3, all indicating ongoing issues with car balance and grip at the Hungaroring.
Impact on Championship Standings and What Lies Ahead
Currently sitting third in the Drivers’ Championship with 185 points after thirteen races and three sprint events, Verstappen trails the McLaren pair of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris by 81 and 65 points respectively. This qualifying setback may increase the pressure on Verstappen and Red Bull as they look to find solutions for better grip and race pace at upcoming venues.
The challenge at the Hungarian GP highlights a rare moment of vulnerability for Verstappen and his team, underscoring the highly competitive nature of this F1 season. Fans and analysts will be keen to see how Red Bull adapts its strategy and car setup to overcome grip issues, aiming to get Verstappen back toward the front of the grid in the races to come.