Formula 1 - Red-Bull-Feud with "childish" Verstappen - Piastri-Debut
Max Verstappen had to endure unnecessary anger outbursts towards the race stewards after his wild ride at the Hungaroring. The three-time Formula-1 World Champion suffered another setback at the Hungarian Grand Prix and failed to win for the third race in a row at Red Bull. He didn't even make it to the podium, finishing as fifth. "Today's strategy was very poor", complained Verstappen to the stewards and even added: "We all made it badly."
"It's disappointing and Max is frustrated, but we have to move on", said Red Bull's motor racing advisor Helmut Marko. "We simply couldn't overtake, and the strategy we chose was proven to be completely wrong." However, Verstappen was not blameless either: Just before the end, he attempted a maneuver that saw his Red Bull lift off the ground and cost him positions and points, earning him a trip to the race stewards.
Instead, Oscar Piastri celebrated his first Grand Prix victory. The 23-year-old Australian passed Stroll rival Lando Norris just before the end, after being instructed by the McLaren team to do so. Norris had earlier benefited from a team decision that clearly disadvantaged Piastri.
"The team asked me to do it. So I did", said Norris, whose face froze at the corresponding question. Beforehand, he had been in a lively conversation with former world champion and interviewer Nico Rosberg.
Hamilton also made it onto the podium
Personally, it was a tough day for the Briton, who would have caught up to Verstappen's 76 points with the second win of his career instead of the 15 points in the standings. The Dutchman still leads, however.
Third place went to Lewis Hamilton in the Mercedes. The 104-time Grand Prix winner had nothing but praise for the rookie winner. "He did a great job. It was just a matter of time before he won", said Hamilton. "This is the day I dreamed of as a child", said Piastri himself.
Noteworthy was the fact that seven different drivers had won the 13 races of the season so far. Piastri's victory over his teammate was also evidence that McLaren currently has the fastest car. "We have to keep working hard and cannot afford to make the slightest mistake, or we'll be second", warned Marko.
Verstappen's attempt to overtake both McLarens ahead of him at the start ended in the first major clash. He had driven out of the track in an attempt to overtake, but was ordered by the team to let Norris pass again to avoid a penalty. "Okay, I guess you can just push people off the track", Verstappen grumbled in response.
The order before the penultimate race before the summer break was now set. Piastri, who had finished second in Austria, led Norris, Verstappen, and Hamilton. Far behind was Verstappen's teammate Sergio Pérez, who was focusing on damage limitation.
After a crash in qualifying, Pérez had to start from 16th place, and Hungary and Belgium could be the final elimination races for him in the summer break. "We can't limp along", emphasized team boss Christian Horner significantly in Hungary. In the end, Pérez finished seventh.
At Max Verstappen's weekend as well, there were over 300,000 spectators in total, but it didn't go as hoped despite the changes to the RB 20. During the race, Verstappen continued to complain about the brakes, but once again engaged in thrilling duels with Hamilton, two weeks after the latter's return to the top step with his overall 104th career win.
A "complicated" debut win for Piasti
With nine poles and eight wins, Hamilton is also the Hungaroring specialist. But Verstappen was after the Brit. Just before the end, the tires of the two cars touched as Verstappen tried to overtake Red Bull's Mercedes on the inside. The rear end lifted, Verstappen managed to save his car from hitting the track boundary before complaining again. His audibly frustrated race engineer retorted: "You're childish."
There was also a need for discussion and icy silence at McLaren. Norris had benefited from an earlier second tire change. Normally, the car in a better position is overtaken first. In this case, not so, McLaren informed the struggling Piasti. The result: Norris was repeatedly and more or less directly instructed to let Piasti pass. "It was a bit complicated," said the race winner, who would have preferred to secure his first Formula 1 victory without such distractions.
- Despite Max Verstappen's wild ride at the Hungaroring, he failed to win at the Hungarian Grand Prix, marking the third race in a row without a victory for him at Red Bull.
- As Formula-1 World Champion, Nico Rosberg was present at the GP Hungary, providing insightful analysis and having a lively conversation with Lando Norris.
- Oscar Piastri secured his first Grand Prix victory at the Hungaroring, overtaking Lando Norris just before the end, benefiting from a team decision that disadvantaged Piastri earlier in the race.
- The International motorsport event, Formula 1, witnessed seven different drivers winning the 13 races held so far in the season.
- Despite Hamilton's tough day, he managed to make it onto the podium with a third-place finish in the Mercedes-Benz at the Hungarian Grand Prix.
- Formula-1 driver Sergio Perez faced challenges during the weekend, starting from 16th place due to a crash in qualifying and focusing on damage limitation.
- Helmut Marko, Red Bull's motor racing advisor, acknowledged the team's mistakes in strategy and overtaking, while also commending Max Verstappen for his impressive performance despite the setbacks.
- McLaren Group Limited's progress was highlighted as evidenced by Piastri's victory over Norris and the emphasis on working hard without making mistakes to maintain their competitive edge.
- Mercedes-Benz driver Lewis Hamilton praised the performance of the rookie winner, Oscar Piastri, acknowledging it was just a matter of time till he claimed his first win.
- Lando Norris, with a face frozen at the corresponding question, admitted to following the team's instructions to overtake Piastri towards the end of the race.
- Similarly, Red Bull's Max Verstappen was criticized for a risky maneuver, attempting to overtake both McLarens ahead of him, which led to him having to visit the race stewards and caused a loss of positions and points.
