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Max Verstappen cut a frustrated figure at the 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix after enduring one of his most underwhelming weekends of the season. The three-time world champion finished a distant ninth, marking his lowest race result of the year and exposing Red Bull’s growing vulnerabilities in the midfield battle.
A weekend to forget for Max Verstappen
The Dutchman’s troubles began early, with a lacklustre qualifying session that saw him only manage P8 on the grid. Outpaced by both Aston Martin drivers and sensational rookie Gabriel Bortoleto, Verstappen struggled to find any rhythm at the twisty Hungaroring circuit.
“Like my whole weekend, there was just no grip and I was just struggling a lot,” Verstappen admitted after the race. “Not how we want to be, but I knew it was going to be a tough day.”
From start to finish, Max Verstappen found himself battling not for podiums, but simply for points—an unfamiliar scenario for a driver more accustomed to fighting at the front. Red Bull opted for a two-stop strategy in an attempt to salvage pace, but Verstappen found himself stuck in traffic for much of the race, most notably behind Fernando Alonso.
Red Bull’s set-up woes continue
Despite tweaks across the practice sessions, Verstappen revealed that the balance and grip issues persisted into race day. The team was unable to dial in the right setup, a critical factor that cost him dearly across all 70 laps.
“It’s been a tough week,” Verstappen said. “We’ll just keep trying, keep working, keep understanding our weaker spots and try to improve on them.”
While the RB21's limitations were laid bare on the tight Budapest layout, Max Verstappen’s determined attitude remains unchanged heading into the summer break. But with Mercedes closing the points gap, questions around Red Bull's consistency are beginning to resurface.
Incident with Hamilton draws attention
Verstappen’s race also included a flashpoint moment when he pulled off a late-braking move on Lewis Hamilton at Turn 4. The incident pushed Hamilton wide onto the runoff area and triggered a post-race investigation. However, the stewards opted for no further action, allowing Max Verstappen to retain his ninth-place finish.
With just a handful of races left before the title fight reaches its climax, Red Bull's issues in Hungary might signal a critical turning point. For Verstappen, the message is clear: things must improve—and quickly.
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