When it comes to racing matters, Max Verstappen has a habit of speaking his mind.
If your car isn't fast enough, the engineers will know it. If your race strategy sets you back, the pit wall should hear it. And if you collide with another driver, the stewards will be fully aware of your side of the story.
There is no room for grey areas, no time for excuses, no need to accept second best.
And if there's anyone who doesn't like the way he races, or anyone who takes offense at the comments he makes on team radio, or anyone who thinks he should approach his craft in a different way… well, in Verstappen's own words, “They can all go fuck themselves.”
This binary view of such a complex sport can be problematic, but Verstappen fully demonstrated this when he spoke to the media after the Formula One Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday. It was Verstappen’s third consecutive race without a win, and he seemed determined to use the occasion as a wake-up call for his Red Bull team.
The last time he had to wait this long for a win was in the three races leading up to his championship showdown with Lewis Hamilton at the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. In the two-and-a-half seasons since, Verstappen has grown accustomed to winning, and he and the team have reached unimaginable heights during that period.
Now, however, Red Bull's rivals have caught up, meaning mistakes no longer go unpunished and wins are no longer guaranteed. The situation has not yet reached the point where Verstappen's march towards a fourth world title looks under threat, but it has begun to reveal some cracks in the dynamic between driver and team.
As happened in Austria two races ago, Verstappen attributed his fifth place to a collision caused by flaws in the team's strategy.
“We didn't have the pace to fight McLaren today, but I think we could still have managed third place,” he said. “Wrong strategic decisions put me at a disadvantage and I had to constantly fight with people, try to overtake, but it didn't work out.”
The fact that Lando Norris finished second behind McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri limited the damage to Verstappen's championship lead, which remains at a very healthy 76 points – the equivalent of three race wins and one fastest lap. However, even with such a large lead, Verstappen sees Red Bull's recent slump as a serious concern and hinted that some members of the Red Bull team did not seem to share his level of urgency to turn things around.
“I said yesterday that maybe some people are not on the same page,” he said. “It is as serious as it is. I knew it was going to be a difficult race and beating McLaren would be difficult, but at least you have to get third place at the finish line and we couldn't even manage that.”
Verstappen's frustrations boil over
Although he made his feelings known to the media, Verstappen's most forceful criticism of Red Bull came over team radio during the race.
Verstappen and race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase are known for their typically frank exchanges, and Lambiase routinely gives his best, often putting Verstappen in his place when his driver disagrees with his team’s decisions. Behind the verbal barrage, there is a clear and deep level of respect between the two, but even by their standards, the relationship on Sunday looked strained.
Verstappen initially took issue with the team's race strategy, which saw him extend each of his stints longer than his rivals in the hope of making up positions on fresher tyres later in the race. By staying out for longer, he lost track position to Hamilton at his first pit stop and another place to Charles Leclerc at his second stop.
“It's amazing how we let ourselves be beaten,” he said on team radio. “It completely screwed up the race for me.”
Seeking to make up for lost time on Leclerc and Hamilton, Verstappen pushed hard after his pit stop, risking damage to his Pirelli tyres, which normally provide long-term benefits if treated carefully early in the stint.
“Well, that's a gentle introduction,” said Lambiase, pointing to Verstappen's aggressive lap times.
“No, mate, don't give me that shit now,” Verstappen replied. “You've given me this shitty strategy, okay? I'm trying to salvage what's left. Fuck it.”
Another frustrating exchange of words came when Verstappen overtook Hamilton to reclaim third place and the pair collided. Verstappen felt Hamilton had turned into him under braking (although the stewards later noted Hamilton had taken the same racing line as the previous laps) and seemed keen to tell his side of the story over the team radio so the stewards could understand it.
“It moved under braking,” Verstappen said, perhaps hoping Lambiase would agree.
“I'm not even going to get into a radio fight with the other teams, Max,” Lambiase replied. “We'll let the stewards do their thing.
“Everything on the radio sounds childish. Childish.”
The response could be interpreted as Lambiase having been pushed to the limit by Verstappen's radio messages during the race, but team principal Christian Horner said the “childish” comment was aimed at rival teams.
“I think GP [Lambiase] “At that stage, it wasn't referring to Max, it was referring to other people who were complaining on the radio about penalties, so I don't think GP at that stage was referring to Max,” Horner said. “Obviously others are calling for penalties, because obviously the stewards are listening to the radio as well.
“They've been together for eight years and yes, there are things we could have done better in today's race, but it's something we'll talk about as a team.”
Asked by Sky Sports after the race if he would apologise to his team for the radio exchanges, Verstappen said: “I don't think we need to apologise, I just think we need to do a better job. I don't know why people think you can't talk on the radio. I mean, this is a sport.
“If some people don't like this, then they can stay home.”
Does Red Bull still have the fastest car?
The root of Verstappen’s frustrations in Hungary was the simple fact that he did not have the quickest car. In the relatively slow, long-duration corners that make up the vast majority of the Hungaroring lap, the McLaren was quicker while Verstappen struggled to find a comfortable balance with the Red Bull.
Although it always seemed likely that McLaren could have an edge over Red Bull in Hungary, the world champions arrived at the circuit with a significant upgrade package. Verstappen’s RB20 featured new upper bodywork, a revised front wing and corresponding aerodynamic tweaks around the front and rear wheels, but it was of no help in the fight with McLaren.
After qualifying behind both McLarens on Saturday, Verstappen rejected the suggestion that the improvements had not worked but admitted that Red Bull's significant early-season lead had been eroded and the car was becoming increasingly difficult to drive at the limit.
“Improvements certainly work, but we're still not the first, right?” he said. “That's why we need more. It's that simple.
“I mean, I think looking back at my qualifying I was pretty happy with the laps, but yeah, balance-wise, everything is really on the limit. I'm pushing as hard as I can and then of course you have little moments here and there.
“I feel like I'm probably pushing harder than last year, but I'm not able to do these good lap times anymore. I guess it means we're a bit slower. We've got work to do. It's that simple.”
Next week’s Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps should be more suited to Red Bull’s strengths and we will likely see a closer battle at the front. Horner remains hopeful that the car’s performance and its latest upgrades will become more accessible in the coming rounds as the team continues to refine its set-up.
“I think we have more performance to offer so, as I say, I think we need to widen that operating window of the car so that when the car is in the right window it qualifies on pole by four-tenths, like it did in Austria,” he said. “Here we missed out on pole by less than a tenth, but you can see when you listen to the driver, particularly Max, that he has limitations in the car and he knows that’s where the performance is.
“The trick is how to translate those problems into solutions, both in terms of engineering and aerodynamics.”
Ultimately, Red Bull and Verstappen want the same thing: to win races again. But the harder the team and driver try to achieve their goal, the more likely the tension will increase if they fail to achieve it.
