Verstappen admits Red Bull’s Hungarian GP pace is ‘impossible to know’

Verstappen faces an open question in Hungary

Max Verstappen has admitted that it is “impossible to know” how competitive Red Bull will be at this weekend’s Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix, with the Hungaroring set to present a very different challenge from last week’s chaotic Belgian race.

After the race, Verstappen joked about the speed of Leclerc’s SF-26, referring to it as a “red rocket”. He added that he had held his line to avoid an “aeroplane shunt”. The incident underlined how strongly the Spa layout shaped the race and why Hungary may offer a clearer indication of Red Bull’s underlying performance.

Rear-wing change brings a mixed result

Verstappen also offered a cautiously positive assessment of Red Bull’s rear-wing decision, after the team temporarily abandoned its iteration of the “Macarena” wing.

When asked how the “new” rear wing had performed, Verstappen quipped: “You mean the old rear wing?” He then acknowledged that the car was more competitive and had a better balance, while pointing to a weakness in tyre usage.

“It performed well. I kept it on the road, which I think is the first thing. We were just a little bit more competitive, and the balance was a little bit better. But we struggled more on the Hard, as simple as that.”

Cornering performance will define Red Bull’s weekend

The slower profile of the Hungaroring is expected to create a different competitive picture, potentially giving Red Bull and Ferrari an opportunity to challenge Mercedes. Verstappen recognises that the circuit should reduce the energy-starvation issue seen in Belgium, but he does not believe that automatically makes Red Bull’s prospects clearer.

“Honestly, of course it’s nice to be less starved in Hungary,” he said, “but I don’t know whether that’s good or bad because, at the end of the day, there are a lot of corners and you need good cornering performance from the car, which makes it impossible to know how good we are going to be.”

The Hungarian Grand Prix is Verstappen’s final opportunity to establish momentum before the summer break and secure a first win. With a month separating the event from his home race at Zandvoort, Red Bull will be looking for a positive conclusion to the opening half of the season amid continued speculation over Verstappen’s future.