Clear message

Verstappen: “Some people need to wake up now!”

Max Verstappen(Bild: GEPA)

A clear message from Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen! Red Bull had hoped for more from the updates for the Hungarian GP. The Dutchman only managed third place in qualifying. "I think some people might have to wake up a bit now," he says, taking his team to task.

Verstappen is "frustrated, because with these updates it's still not good enough." McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes are shaking up the pecking order in Formula 1. Although Verstappen still has an 84-point lead over Hungary pole-setter Lando Norris with 255 points, his lead in the championship could slowly shrink with twelve races to go (including the Hungarian GP on Sunday, editor's note).

In the constructors' championship, Red Bull is still 71 points ahead of Ferrari with 373 points. But the last few races have shown a downward trend. Especially as Sergio Perez is still not getting up to speed, performing poorly and scoring hardly any points for the team. The fact is: the competition is not sleeping.

"Maybe not everyone is on the same wavelength"
"The updates are working," Verstappen clarifies, but "they are simply not the steps we want," says the 26-year-old, adding: "I don't think everyone understands the situation. I'm not looking for excuses. Maybe not everyone is on the same wavelength."

Max Verstappen(Bild: Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Postscript: "I think maybe some people need to wake up a bit now. If you want to become world champion, things have to go better than they are now."

He does not reveal exactly who he is referring to. But Verstappen is clearly unhappy with the attitude of some of the staff at Red Bull. It could be another "twelve long races", says Verstappen, if they don't get their act together.