Red Bull accelerated their development programme to bring their latest upgrade package three weeks earlier than planned in reaction to the threat posed by McLaren.
But after being beaten by both MCL38s, today Max Verstappen admitted the team need to do more to close the gap.“For sure they work, but we’re still not first, right?” was Verstappen’s verdict on the team’s latest upgrade for its RB20.
“So we need more. It’s as simple as that.”
Verstappen lapped 1.3 seconds quicker than he managed at the same track a year ago, which is a greater improvement than most teams managed. However McLaren have found more, and Verstappen said he was at his limit trying to wring the most from his car.
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“Looking back at my qualifying, I was very happy with the laps, but balance-wise everything is really on the edge,” he said in the FIA press conference after qualifying. “I’m pushing as hard as I can.
“Then, of course, you have little moments here and there. I feel like I probably pushed harder than I did last year, but it’s just not coming anymore to have these great lap times.
“I guess it just means that we are a bit slower. So we have work to do. Simple as that.”
He ended qualifying less than five-hundredths of a second slower than both McLaren drivers, who claimed the front row of the grid. However Verstappen pointed out he had the benefit of being able to complete both his flying laps on new soft tyres in Q3, which the McLaren drivers were unable to do because of Yuki Tsunoda’s crash, and therefore the true gap between them is likely even larger.
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“The gap looks small but I also got two laps in with two sets of tyres where Lando, of course, only had one,” he told the official F1 channel. “So I don’t think it is a realistic gap also, if he would have had another set of tyres.”
Verstappen said it will be difficult for Red Bull to make significant gains with its car over the second half of the year. “We are pushing as hard as we can, but clearly at the moment it’s still not how we want it to be,” he said.
“We’ll continue to do so, we’ll try to find more performance. But I’m also well aware that that’s not very easy to find suddenly throughout the season, with things already just planned, and just the way the car is.
“We’ll see. There are many races, there are a lot of things that can happen in qualifying with conditions, stuff like that. So we just need to stay focused and do the best we can every single time and optimise our performances.”
The team which locked out the front row of the grid at Silverstone two weeks ago, Mercedes, weren’t in the hunt at the Hungaroring. It would have been in a stronger position had George Russell not slipped up in Q1 and dropped out, though it remains to be seen whether they would have beaten Ferrari. Neither was on the level of the top two teams, however.
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There was some encouragement for Aston Martin which brought a significant upgrade package to Hungary and were the fifth-quickest team in qualifying. Sauber also appear to have benefited from their upgrade, while Alpine’s poor showing was exacerbated by their Q1 blunder which saw both drivers drop out as they failed to set times as the track dried.
Sector times and ultimate laps
| P. | # | Driver | S1 | S2 | S3 | Ultimate lap (deficit) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Lando Norris | 27.606 (8) | 26.382 (1) | 21.239 (2) | 1’15.227 |
| 2 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | 27.553 (4) | 26.472 (2) | 21.224 (1) | 1’15.249 |
| 3 | 1 | Max Verstappen | 27.461 (1) | 26.524 (3) | 21.288 (3) | 1’15.273 |
| 4 | 55 | Carlos Sainz Jnr | 27.465 (2) | 26.832 (6) | 21.36 (4) | 1’15.657 (+0.039) |
| 5 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | 27.572 (5) | 26.754 (5) | 21.431 (7) | 1’15.757 (+0.097) |
| 6 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | 27.644 (10) | 26.742 (4) | 21.446 (8) | 1’15.832 (+0.059) |
| 7 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | 27.486 (3) | 26.933 (8) | 21.476 (9) | 1’15.895 (+0.148) |
| 8 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | 27.613 (9) | 26.95 (9) | 21.387 (5) | 1’15.950 (+0.171) |
| 9 | 18 | Lance Stroll | 27.598 (7) | 26.955 (10) | 21.4 (6) | 1’15.953 (+0.122) |
| 10 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | 27.714 (13) | 26.877 (7) | 21.521 (11) | 1’16.112 (+0.090) |
| 11 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | 27.588 (6) | 27.092 (13) | 21.637 (15) | 1’16.317 |
| 12 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | 27.708 (12) | 27.176 (14) | 21.5 (10) | 1’16.384 |
| 13 | 23 | Alexander Albon | 27.791 (14) | 27.077 (12) | 21.561 (12) | 1’16.429 |
| 14 | 2 | Logan Sargeant | 27.857 (15) | 27.055 (11) | 21.631 (14) | 1’16.543 |
| 15 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | 27.663 (11) | 27.292 (15) | 21.593 (13) | 1’16.548 |
| 16 | 63 | George Russell | 28.183 (16) | 27.659 (18) | 21.681 (16) | 1’17.523 (+0.445) |
| 17 | 11 | Sergio Perez | 28.236 (17) | 27.665 (19) | 21.865 (18) | 1’17.766 (+0.120) |
| 18 | 24 | Zhou Guanyu | 28.456 (18) | 27.538 (17) | 21.936 (19) | 1’17.930 (+0.107) |
| 19 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | 28.484 (19) | 27.536 (16) | 22.029 (20) | 1’18.049 |
| 20 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | 28.551 (20) | 27.766 (20) | 21.849 (17) | 1’18.166 |
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This year’s pole position time was 1.3 seconds faster than last year, but still the best part of two seconds slower than the all-time record for this configuration.
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2024 Hungarian Grand Prix
- McLaren team orders “a new situation we’re inexperienced at handling” – Piastri
- Verstappen dismisses critics of “vocal” radio messages and late-night simracing
- Norris’ former McLaren team mates say he was right to give up win
- Mercedes surprised Hamilton’s car was “completely unscathed” in Verstappen clash
- McLaren is first team to produce two new winners in a season since 2001
Edvaldo
20th July 2024, 20:10
It did against Norris who only had one shot, but in comparison to Piastri that’s exactly where they are. A tiny bit behind.
It may not be as easy as his previous 2 titles, but it’s still somewhat safe as they’re more consistent at the top than Ferrari and Mercedes and he’ll hardly have trouble going to the podium more often than not and ahead of Norris as well.
Steve (@duuxdeluxe)
20th July 2024, 20:44
I only would like Sky Sports and the official F1-channel to stop painting Red Bull and Verstappen as the favorites still all the time. McLaren clearly has had the best car over a variety of tracks and only binned it because A: They aren’t used to competing in the front (yet) and B: Their so far sub-par driver decissions during races.
Stella can talk out of his Aston Martins teamboss all he wants, but the McLaren car should be the favorites at all races, but they love to downplay it to the point where it becomes annoying.
If one of the all-time greatest, if Verstappen can’t wring more out of it, it’s the car holding him back. If Norris can put it on pole, well clearly, that car is better.
kuvemar
20th July 2024, 22:50
How do you know that Max is one of the greatest? Even Vettel managed to clinch 4 titles in a row in the same team.
Time will tell. As of now, it looks like there isn’t so much Max magic left when the car isn’t dominant.
timber
21st July 2024, 11:05
How do we know Hamilton is one of the greatest? Same exact argument, he only won sitting for the longest in the fasest car. Difference is Verstappen won 10 races Not sitting in the fastest car, Vettel zero wins, Hamilton just one win the last three years not sitting in the fastect car….
BLS (@brightlampshade)
21st July 2024, 12:32
Vettel won in a Toro Rosso, Hamilton won several in an up & down McLaren.
Cris S
21st July 2024, 3:34
Why did you feel the need to take a shot at Vettel? That really doesn’t add to your argument.
Even if he had a great car, it takes a special driver to win races and titles. And win so many in a row. Remember how it felt watching Max win 10 in a row last year and before that Seb had the record at 9. The car can get you a few “free” wins. Heck, Perez has a few wins at RB, but it takes a special talent to get win after win after win and so on. Hamilton never won more than 5 in a row. And lost a title to a teammate. Do you see Max or Seb losing a title to their teammate? No freaking way.
Look at Lando, how many missed opportunities he had. Seb won in a Torro Rosso. Max won first time in a RB.
I don’t like Max, but he’s obviously one of the greats already. For me, he’s top3, with Schumi and Senna.
Jere (@jerejj)
21st July 2024, 5:34
Like in Silverstone, the gap to last year’s pole time would’ve been even greater & oppositely, smaller to the outright track record without any rain impact on track conditions.
MadMax (@madmax)
21st July 2024, 9:33
RBR still is the best car. Just cause MCL can match their one lap pace doesnt change facts. Sandbagging in a RBR is nothing but embarrasing.
FrankT
21st July 2024, 11:07
Sure, you’re not obsessed with Verstappen and just cannot control yourself when somebody talks good about him. Sure it is not THAT! hahahaha
Norris, Zak Brown everybody saying they have the fastect car for several races now. But you from your couch know better!
Marcel
21st July 2024, 10:28
There is something wrong. According these stats, the RB has a bigger improvement over 2023 on this track than McLaren. Yet in 2023 RB was in front of McLaren and now behind. If you were in front and improve more, how can you end up behind?