Max Verstappen stated that it is still impossible to predict Red Bull’s level of competitiveness for the Formula 1 Hungarian GP. After the Spa-Francorchamps race, marked by energy management challenges, the Dutchman believes that Hungaroring will present a completely different scenario.
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At the Belgian GP, the high-speed track caused high electrical energy consumption, leaving drivers with low battery charge before reaching Les Combes corner. Verstappen even took the lead on the first lap, but was eventually overtaken by Kimi Antonelli and Charles Leclerc on the long straight after Eau Rouge.
Evaluating Red Bull’s performance in Spa, the four-time champion highlighted that the return to the conventional rear wing brought improvements, although the car’s behavior with Hard tires still left something to be desired. “You mean the old rear wing?” Verstappen joked when asked about the part. “It worked well. I managed to keep the car on track, and I think that’s already the first step. We became a bit more competitive and the balance improved, but we suffered more with the Hard tires. That was simply it.”
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Despite the expectation that Hungaroring will reduce the energy management problems seen in Belgium, Verstappen believes this does not guarantee an advantage for Red Bull. “Honestly, of course it’s good to suffer less from lack of energy in Hungary, but I don’t know if that will be good or bad because, ultimately, there are many corners and you need a very efficient car in that kind of section. This makes it impossible to know how competitive we will be.”
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