Horner clarifies 'childish' radio comments during Hungarian GP
Budapest, Hungary – Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has clarified a contentious radio exchange during the Hungarian Grand Prix, where Max Verstappen's race engineer appeared to label the three-time world champion's behavior as "childish.".
Gianpiero Lambiase, Verstappen's long-time race engineer, had an intense exchange with the Dutch driver at the Hungaroring. Verstappen expressed frustration over a collision with Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton, a seven-time world champion, which resulted in Verstappen's car being pitched onto its nose and off the track in a battle for third place.
"I am not even going to get into a radio fight with the other teams, Max," Lambiase said during the race. "We'll let the stewards do their thing. It's childish on the radio, childish."
The comment caught attention for its sharp tone, especially given the close relationship between Verstappen and Lambiase, who have worked together for eight years. However, Horner clarified that Lambiase was actually referring to the radio traffic from rival teams, not Verstappen himself.
"I don't think [Lambiase's] reference at that point was in reference to Max," Horner explained to reporters. "Others [were] obviously goading for penalties because obviously the stewards are listening to the radio as well."
Verstappen, who finished the race in fifth place after the stewards decided to take no further action, remained unapologetic when discussing his radio messages, which were censored for the global television audience due to profanities.
"I don't think we need to apologise," Verstappen stated. "I just think we need to do a better job."
Horner acknowledged that the team would privately address what they could have done better during the race. Despite the tension, he praised Sergio Pérez for an impressive performance, moving from 16th on the grid to finish seventh.
"Pérez had good pace and made some good passes and hopefully will have taken a lot of confidence out of that," Horner said about Pérez, whose future with the team remains uncertain despite a recent contract extension.
Pérez has garnered only 21 points over the past seven races, while Verstappen has accumulated 129 points in the same period, placing the Mexican seventh in the standings. Notably, Pérez is the only driver among the top eight yet to secure a win this season.
The Hungarian Grand Prix highlighted the intense intra- and inter-team dynamics that continue to define the 2023 Formula 1 season, setting the stage for more tightly contested battles as the championship progresses.
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