(L to R): Max Verstappen, Red Bull; Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Hungaroring, 2022

Ferrari were ‘very fast but chose the wrong tyres’ – Verstappen

2022 Hungarian Grand Prix

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Max Verstappen is convinced Ferrari’s tyre strategy cost them victory in the Hungarian Grand Prix.

The Red Bull driver rose from 10th on the grid to win today’s race. He passed championship rival Charles Leclerc twice after the Ferrari driver switched to the hard tyre compound for the final stint.

Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto said the team lacked performance in the race which would have compromised their bid for victory regardless of their strategy. However Leclerc said they made a mistake by bringing him into the pits too soon in reaction to Verstappen’s second pit stop, and fitting the hard tyres.

Verstappen said “choosing the right tyres at the right time” was key to victory today.

“Of course, we know that our car in general is quick, but I think throughout the race Ferrari was also very fast, they just made the wrong call with the hard tyre,” he explained. “So there’s still a lot of things we can look into, what we can do better.”

Despite scoring a victory from 10th on the grid at a track where overtaking is notoriously difficult, Verstappen said the team can still find room for improvement.

“Starting 10th and winning the race on a track like this is, of course, very, very good,” he said. “But there are a lot of things we will analyse and look into what we could have done better.

“There are always a few areas what we could have done better. But overall, of course, I’m very happy with today.”

Red Bull need to keep working on their car to ensure they remain competitive when the championship resumes after the summer break at Spa-Francorchamps, said Verstappen.

“We just keep on working, keep on trying to improve the car because I think there’s still a few areas where we can work on to do better. After the break we have a few races which are a bit different to this track as well, so it will be interesting to see how competitive we’re going to be there.”

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2022 Hungarian Grand Prix

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Author information

Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...
Claire Cottingham
Claire has worked in motorsport for much of her career, covering a broad mix of championships including Formula One, Formula E, the BTCC, British...

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15 comments on “Ferrari were ‘very fast but chose the wrong tyres’ – Verstappen”

  1. “A lot cooler, but overall the speed today was not great enough, and whatever tyres we were using, I don’t think we were as good as we were looking for.”

    – Binotto

    Yes. That last sentence is true.

    1. Funny how the whole grid, including the Ferrari drivers see this, but Binotto stil doesn’t.

  2. What does Vertappen knows?? If Binotto says otherwise it’s because it is…lol

    1. Clucky (@cluckyblokebird)
      2nd August 2022, 7:14

      Binotto is going to say what ever is more favourable to his team, Verstappen was racing wheel to wheel with Ferrari on various tyres, I think I’d believe him over Binotto.

  3. VER seems to know a lot, just like RUS knew the reason LEC spun in France. Don’t know about RUS – if he’s bothered by Ferrari’s porpoising or not -, but VER definately should move to Ferrari since they’re very fast. But he won’t change a rocket car with a very fast car. Cannot win a clean race (without a SC or a tyre gamble situation like dry-wet etc) after starting 10th unless you have the best car, end of the story.

    1. “, but VER definately should move to Ferrari since they’re very fast.”

      What? So he can lose races due to reliability problems or bad strategy. He is leading the WC by 80 points. He should move why?

      1. Just being sarcastic, my friend. It’s a fact now they messed it up with the Hards and few positions, but the part with “very fast”… don’t quite get it.

        1. Ahh, sarcasm. You never know with some of the folks on these comments.

    2. If Max goes to Ferrari you will soon see a photo of him showing a finger to Binotto xD

    3. Alpine and Haas clearly showed for everyone that had no other data than how both teams dropped after fitting the hards that the compound was not working, temps were cool the medium and soft were holding up. A bemused Hamilton was bewildered to see Leclerc on the white walled tyre.

    4. Cannot win a clean race

      Just being sarcastic,

      Ahh, sarcasm. You never know with some of the folks on these comments.

  4. You know you’ve screwed up when your biggest rival is giving you retrospective strategy tips.

    1. Ahah, true, this was ferrari screwing up at its finest, although I felt like red bull was the fastest car here, but seeing what perez did, it’s insane they managed to let leclerc, who was much faster than sainz, end up behind him with that hard tyre choice.

  5. Jelle van der Meer (@)
    1st August 2022, 2:53

    Red Bull original plan was for Max to start the race on the hard tyre but that plan got scrapped after Max struggling for grip already on the soft tyre on his way to the grid told the team to change strategy.

    I think Leclerc is partly to blame for the failed strategy simply because he fails to be more vocal, more demanding towards Ferrari in terms of what he wants. He can says he asked for his stint to be extended on mediums but he blindly followed the box box box calls as he always have done.

    In several races Sainz has been more vocal and defying Ferrari strategy calls and often proved to be right. Leclerc is really fast, has greatly improved his wheel to wheel racing skills but seemingly is behind Lewis/Vettel/Max/Alonso on spare brain capacity to oversee the race/strategy while racing at 200-300kph.

  6. RB was the fastest car in the hands of Max, not in the hands of Peres…So is it actually the fastest car? Definitely right up there, but as always we never actually know

Comments are closed.