“If I’m not showing emotions anymore then I don’t care about myself – so I do care a lot,” says Max Verstappen after taking Red Bull pace frustration out on his steering wheel; watch Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix live on Sky Sports F1 at 2pm, with build-up from 12.30pm
Max Verstappen, frustrated by qualifying behind the McLarens in third for the Hungarian Grand Prix, was seen punching his Red Bull steering wheel. The F1 world champion described his newly-upgraded car as “still not fast enough.”
In a challenging qualifying session at the Hungaroring marked by rain and two red flags, Verstappen was edged out for the front row by McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. The McLaren duo will lead the grid for Sunday’s race, which will be crucial given the circuit’s difficulty for overtaking.
Verstappen narrowly missed out on the front row, finishing just 0.024 seconds behind Piastri in second and 0.046 seconds behind pole-sitter Norris. On-board footage from the end of Verstappen’s final Q3 lap captured his frustration as he slapped the steering wheel.
After qualifying, Max Verstappen was candid about his frustration. Speaking to Sky Sports, he said, “I’m frustrated just because we are not fast enough, and it has been like that for a while.”
Despite bringing several upgrades to the car this weekend, Verstappen felt the improvements weren’t sufficient. He added, “If I’m not showing emotions anymore, then I don’t care about myself – so I do care a lot.”
Verstappen expressed his disappointment at not securing pole position, emphasizing the importance of this qualifying session for both the race and the championship. He felt he had tried everything possible to achieve the top spot but was hampered by a lack of pace.
Since their strong start to the season, with Red Bull winning four of the first five races, their dominance in F1 has been challenged. Rivals have consistently narrowed the gap, and as evidenced by Saturday’s qualifying at the Hungaroring, McLaren has completely erased the pace advantage Red Bull once held.
The turnaround in performance has happened even though Red Bull has continued to introduce regular upgrades to their RB20, including a significant package for the Hungarian Grand Prix.
“I was hoping for more performance, but it is what it is,” Verstappen said regarding the latest developments, which included revised sidepods, bodywork, and a new front wing. “Maybe we didn’t optimize it fully, I don’t know, but we’ll see in the coming races.”
In the post-qualifying press conference, Verstappen remarked, “For sure they work, but they’re still not the fastest. So we need more; it’s as simple as that.”
Reflecting on his qualifying performance, he noted, “I was very happy with the laps, but balance-wise, everything seems to be on the edge. I’m pushing as hard as I can, and there are little moments here and there. It feels like I’m pushing harder than last year, but we’re just not getting the great lap times anymore. So, it just means we are a bit slower and have work to do. It’s as simple as that.”
Despite his qualifying disappointment, Max Verstappen is expected to be a major contender in Sunday’s race as he aims for a third consecutive Hungarian GP win. He won the 2022 race from 10th on the grid and last year’s from second place.
McLaren boss Andrea Stella even suggested that Verstappen “remains the favourite” for Sunday, especially with the hot weather expected to return.
When this perspective was shared with Verstappen, he humorously responded, “He must have seen a different timing sheet then!”
Leading Lando Norris by 84 points in the Drivers’ Championship at the midpoint of the 2024 season, Verstappen commented on his race prospects: “I don’t know at the moment — but what can I do?”
He continued, “We’ll try our very best, aim for a good, stable balance with the car, and hope that if I can find that balance, I can follow them. But I’m not sure.”
Verstappen added, “Honestly, my long runs have been okay but nothing fantastic or special. I think it’s better to be realistic rather than spreading false hope. But we’ll see on Sunday; it is what it is.”
Sergio Pérez expressed his frustration after his latest crash, saying, “It hurts to let your whole team down.” The incident has been a significant setback for Pérez, who has been struggling with performance issues recently.
Max Verstappen will again be the sole Red Bull driver competing at the front after Sergio Pérez’s troubles worsened on Saturday with a crash in Q1. The incident at Turn Eight, where Pérez spun off and hit the barriers, followed a similar mistake in rainy conditions at Silverstone two weeks ago that also ended his qualifying early.
Pérez, who signed a new contract less than two months ago, has been under mounting pressure due to a poor run of form, having earned just 15 points over the last six races. He will start the race no higher than 16th on a track known for its difficulty in overtaking.
After the crash, Pérez made no excuses, acknowledging that his form is “something we need to change quickly” with only one more race in Belgium before the summer break.
“I’m obviously very disappointed because the weekend had been really strong up to now,” Pérez told Sky Sports F1. “It hurts to let your whole team down, but at the end of the day, I’m more determined than ever to get back where we belong as a team.”
He added, “It’s a massive job on Sunday. There’s a long race ahead, so I need to block out the external noise and focus on the task at hand. Friday was the best of the season for us, so we are definitely making progress. Our time will come.
“Unfortunately, it’s just one thing after another. I’m aware of that, and it’s something we need to change quickly.”