A visibly frustrated Max Verstappen lamented Red Bull Racing's strategy after a deeply disappointing Hungarian Grand Prix, which saw the four-time world champion finish a lowly ninth.
Following a dominant McLaren 1-2, Verstappen highlighted key strategic missteps and lingering car performance issues that hampered his race, directly questioning his team's two-stop gamble.
Verstappen, who had already endured a difficult weekend struggling with grip and balance, found himself battling in the midfield, a rare sight for a driver who has dominated Formula 1 in recent years.
After the race, speaking to reporters, his frustration was palpable.
"One stop would have been better because the overtaking was really difficult," he stated.
Red Bull's decision to bring Verstappen in for a second pit stop, while rivals like Lando Norris (who won the race) made a one-stop strategy work, proved costly.
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"The speed... it’s just funny, two or three laps, he was doing the same laps as the leaders, but we believe we know what went wrong," he explained.
"On the first stop the tyres were gone, and the second stop we thought we could overtake, but as we saw for a couple of laps, yes, the speed was there, but then it was over."
Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko echoed some of Verstappen's sentiments, also suggesting a one-stop might have yielded a better result, perhaps a P5 or P6, indicating the struggles were deeper than just strategy.
The ninth-place finish is a stark reminder of Red Bull's current challenges, especially compared to the surging McLaren team.
Verstappen has now fallen a significant 97 points behind championship leader Oscar Piastri, a gap that even Red Bull's top brass are now admitting makes a fifth consecutive title defence "impossible."
As F1 heads into the summer break, Red Bull faces an uphill battle to understand and rectify the issues plaguing their car, with Verstappen's candid comments underlining the team's urgent need for solutions.
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