This is not how Red Bull wanted their 2024 Hungarian GP to end. Since the beginning of the race, Max Verstappen sounded extremely irritated on the team radio. It started when GP Lambiase asked Verstappen to let Norris take P2 on lap 1, and the struggles continued from there. On July 21, the expected Norris-Verstappen clash turned into a Verstappen-Red Bull conflict. First Verstappen went wide and made way for Oscar Piastri to take the lead. Next, the minor contact between Lando and Max went up for investigation by the stewards, and the reigning champion had to let Norris pass.

The Dutchman wasn’t happy; throughout the race, Max and his bouts of furious radio messages continued. He just didn’t want to listen to anyone and his impatience was palpable. Meanwhile, an incident with Lewis Hamilton on lap 63 took the victory far from Red Bull’s reach. Verstappen tried to overtake Hamilton for P3 but he locked up and collided with the Mercedes, spinning into the gravel. However, he rejoined in P5 behind Leclerc, and a frustrated Verstappen wanted his team to appeal to the stewards.

He accused Hamilton of moving into his ‘braking zone’. But Gianpiero Lambiase retorted, “I’m not even going to get into a radio fight with the other teams, Max. We’ll let the stewards do their thing. It’s childish on the radio, childish.” Fair to say, even Gianpiero sounded considerably upset with the on-track drama, with several blunders and Max Verstappen’s agitation playing a key role in Red Bull’s Budapest debacle.

Is the bond between GP and Verstappen severing? The team engineer once called the 26-year-old his “little brother”, but now when the ‘younger one’ is losing his mind over the poor strategy, Lambiase lets him down. Or is it the other way? A tricky situation, hard to guess!

Both Red Bull drivers were having their struggles, but it was Verstappen who caught everyone’s attention. And why shouldn’t that be? After all, he is still the defending world champion. Now, one thing is clear after the Hungarian GP: Red Bull might no longer be the most dominant car. And McLaren can be the rising star, given the team has had repeated podiums this year.

Red Bull’s disastrous Hungarian Grand Prix and Max Verstappen’s frustration

Did Christian Horner and Co. anticipate their 2024 season wouldn’t be a cakewalk? Given how dominant Red Bull had been for the last two years, surely this thought didn’t pop up. Moreover, how could Adrian Newey’s design and advanced RB20 mess up? Unfortunately, as the races commenced, Red Bull’s, precisely Max Verstappen‘s, performance began to falter. It is indeed surprising to see the fastest driver in the present grid, become the third or fourth fastest in every race.

Max Verstappen wanted to change the narrative in Hungary. But he got only disappointment. As Nick Gibson stated: “The second half of the season and we witness the end of Red Bull domination. Very difficult now for Verstappen to win another world championship.” But then, with a good lead ahead of Lando Norris on the driver standing, Verstappen would win his 4th title this year. However, the Hungarian GP exposed the erroneous strategies of Red Bull. Slow pit stops and poor tire management played a key role in the blunder. In the end, Max Verstappen’s winless streak continues on its third stint.

Since his collision with Lando Norris in Austria, the ‘Flying Dutchman’ has struggled. This is nothing less than a nightmare for Verstappen and his fans. Since 2022, people have lost the habit of not seeing Max win – but well, the 2024 season is full of surprises. Will the picture change in Belgium? As for now, it is hard to predict. And while Red Bull will analyze their issues from Hungary, questions remain about Verstappen’s form and when he’ll secure his next victory. The F1 community is buzzing with concern.

Overall, Hungaroring was a nightmare for Red Bull and their ‘star boy’. But can Max Verstappen make a comeback at the Belgian GP next week? What do you think? Share your predictions below.