Max Verstappen’s commitment to Formula 1 has come under scrutiny after a frustrating race in Hungary where the triple-world champion finished fifth, while Australian Oscar Piastri secured his first win. Verstappen was visibly upset, cursing at his team over the radio and clashing with Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton. He seemed uncomfortable in his car, as Red Bull’s previous dominance over McLaren, Mercedes, and Ferrari diminished.
Attention was drawn to Verstappen’s decision to participate in a 24-hour driving simulator race the night before the Grand Prix. Former world champion Nico Rosberg questioned if Verstappen was taking the current F1 competition seriously enough, noting the contrast with Lando Norris’s professional approach.
Starting from third, Verstappen went off-track at the first turn but moved into second place. However, he was told by his team to give the position back to Norris to avoid a penalty. As the race continued, Verstappen grew more agitated, especially when he fell behind Hamilton and Charles Leclerc during pit stops, forcing him to battle for third place.
VERSTAPPEN 💥 HAMILTON
A big hit which sent the Red Bull flying and ultimately ended the fight for P3 🥉#F1 #HungarianGP pic.twitter.com/I7K2Nu5sgG
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 21, 2024
Verstappen had several tense exchanges with his race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, particularly over tire management and pit strategy. During an attempt to overtake Hamilton, Verstappen’s car became airborne after a late brake and collision. Verstappen blamed Hamilton, but the stewards and Lambiase disagreed.
Despite the setbacks, Verstappen leads the drivers’ championship by 76 points with 11 races remaining. Although he has been the standout driver with seven wins in 13 races this season, his previously uncontested dominance is now being questioned for the first time since his first championship win in 2021.