After a Q1 exit for Sergio Pérez and a P3 start for Max Verstappen, will Red Bull choose strategies that work in their favour during tomorrow’s 2024 Hungarian GP?
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Since the gap between Red Bull and McLaren, alongside Ferrari and Mercedes, closed this season, the team have not had the luck with their performances nor the machinery they once did that excelled above the rest.
This has particularly shown at the 2024 Hungarian GP thus far, where both of the Red Bull drivers were less than impressed with their differing performances.
Verstappen’s Dissatisfaction
Verstappen qualified P3, 0.024s behind second-placed Piastri and 0.046s off of pole-sitter Norris. On-board footage from the end of the Dutchman’s final Q3 lap showed the championship leader slapping his wheel with his hands.
When asked about this post Qualifying, he shared, “I’m frustrated just because we are not fast enough, and it has been for a while like that.
“This weekend we brought quite a few upgrades to the car and we’re still not fast enough. So, yeah, if I’m not showing emotions anymore than I don’t care about myself – so I do care a lot.“
Verstappen has the upgrades, while Pérez is on the old spec. These upgrades were to rebuild the gap Red Bull once had against their rivals as the Constructor’s Championship heats up between them and McLaren.
With a McLaren front row lock out for the Hungarian GP and a car that has the pace others have only marginally reached, Verstappen finds the situation “So just frustrating.
“I felt like I tried everything I could to try and get pole, I know it’s very important around here also and for the championship, and we just lacked pace again.”
“I was hoping for more performance, but it is what it is,” said Verstappen when asked about this latest development parts, which included revised sidepod and bodywork, including front wing.
“Maybe we didn’t optimise it, I don’t know, but we’ll see in the coming races.“
Is This The End For Pérez?
Pérez has been at the centre of conversations surrounding his future at Red Bull. While he has a contract with the team for the 2025 season, he could find himself seatless if his performance does not pick up.
For the Red Bull driver, the 2024 Hungarian GP is important for his future. However, in Qualifying, he crashed in Q1 after an incident at Turn Eight that saw him spin off and hit the barriers.
This came two weeks after a mistake in similar wet conditions that dropped the Mexican driver out at the same stage of qualifying at Silverstone.
After making it to the press zone, he was quick to admit his form was “something we need to change quickly” with one more race weekend in Belgium to go before the sport’s summer break.
“I’m obviously very disappointed because the weekend has been really strong up to now.” He was the fourth fastest in Friday’s Free Practice sessions.
“It hurts to let your whole team down, but at the end of the day I’m determined more than ever to get back where we belong as a team.”
He added: “It’s a massive job [on Sunday]. There’s a long race ahead of us, so I think I just have to shut the external noise down and focus on the job“
“[It] was the best Friday of the season, so we are definitely making progress. Our time will come.“
He will need quite the recovery drive from his P16 start but a points finish is not impossible.
For Pérez, “Unfortunately, it’s just one after the other. I’m conscious of that and it’s something we need to change quickly.“
Image Credit: Red Bull Content Pool
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