Verstappen Endures Frustrating Qualifying Session, Struggles to P8 in Hungary
BUDAPEST, Hungary — Max Verstappen’s Weekend at the Hungaroring Filled with Frustration
Max Verstappen’s weekend at the Hungaroring has been anything but smooth, with the defending world champion visibly frustrated after qualifying eighth for Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix. Verstappen admitted that his Red Bull felt off from the very first lap of practice, and his struggles persisted throughout all three practice sessions and into qualifying.
“There’s not been a single lap or a single corner that I’ve felt good. The whole weekend so far has just been sliding,” Verstappen said post-qualifying. “I mean looking at the whole weekend, I think we are happy to be in Q3 because I've been more outside the top 10 than in. The whole weekend I’ve had no grip. Front and rear, and it was the same in qualifying. So for me, it’s not really a shock—I just drove to what I already feel the whole weekend.”
Fighting Grip Issues on a Challenging Circuit
Known for its demanding, medium-speed corners, the Hungaroring has brought out the worst in Red Bull’s setup this weekend. Verstappen, who secured third on the grid at this race a year ago, said the 2024 car feels like a step back compared to last season’s performance. His struggles with grip and balance appeared consistent and irreparable as the team was unable to make meaningful progress, despite significant setup changes.
“I think we still qualified very close to pole, like within a few hundredths,” Verstappen reflected on last year’s more competitive outing. “This weekend, already from lap one, just felt off. We threw the car around a lot and nothing really gave the direction. That, of course, is the biggest problem because when you change a lot from the setup, it will always give you positives or negatives, and ours was just—nothing worked. It was just going round in circles and nothing gave you any kind of idea of what to do.”
Uphill Battle for Championship Aspirations
Currently third in the drivers’ championship, Verstappen faces a daunting challenge in retaining his title. With an 81-point deficit to leader Oscar Piastri, who clinched a front-row start for Sunday’s race, Verstappen’s grip on the championship appears to be slipping.
When asked about his expectations for the race, Verstappen was cautiously realistic:
“There’s a few cars ahead of me that I can maybe battle with a little bit, but of course Lewis [Hamilton, starting 12th] is a little bit further down the road and he shouldn’t be there, right? So he will come through a bit.”
As Verstappen readies himself for a difficult race, all eyes will be on Red Bull to see if the team can recalibrate and salvage points in what has been an unusually challenging Hungarian Grand Prix weekend for the reigning champion.
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