MAX Verstappen expressed his frustration after finishing third in qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix, with McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri taking the top two spots.
Verstappen, the current Formula 1 champion, criticized his new Red Bull car, calling it “still not fast enough.”
Qualifying at the Hungaroring was disrupted by rain and two red flags, complicating proceedings. Verstappen finished just 0.024s behind Piastri and 0.046s behind Norris. In onboard footage, Verstappen was seen hitting his steering wheel in frustration after his final lap in Q3.
“I’m frustrated because we weren’t fast enough, even though we brought some updates to the car this weekend. I tried everything to get pole position, which is important for this race and the championship, but we were still lacking pace,” he told Sky Sports.
Despite Red Bull continuing to improve their RB20 with new parts, including revised sidepods and bodywork, Verstappen remains dissatisfied with the performance. He noted that while the new components are working, the desired results have not been achieved.
Verstappen, who currently leads the Drivers’ Championship by 84 points, remains hopeful of the race but acknowledges the challenges ahead. “My long runs were quite good, but nothing special. We’ll see what happens on Sunday,” he said.
In contrast, McLaren boss Andrea Stella suggested Verstappen was still the favourite for the race, but Verstappen humorously responded to this view, saying, “He must have seen a different time sheet.”
Team-mate Sergio Perez suffered further setbacks after crashing during Q1, compounding his recent struggles. Perez, who has been under pressure after a poor run of results, will start no higher than 16th. He acknowledged his disappointment and the need to improve his performance quickly, while focusing on making the most of Sunday’s race. (Skysport/Z-3)
#Max #Verstappen #Frustrated #Qualifying #Hungarian
