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Max Verstappen was irate over team radio during the Hungarian Grand Prix when a mix of strategic decisions and incidents caused him to drop out of the podium places.
While the pair are normally known for their sarcastic and witty remarks, the Dutchman’s full temper was on display during the exchanges with Red Bull race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase.
Verstappen was mainly unhappy with the team’s decision to keep him out and let others undercut him twice, while the collision with Lewis Hamilton in the closing stages only compounded his anger even more as it lost him the podium.
Below is a full transcript of the expletive-ridden team radio messages between the pair, which was the subject of a lot of controversy after the race.
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Max Verstappen unhappy with stewards in Hungarian GP
After starting from third on the grid, Verstappen briefly ran in second after a three-wide move into Turn 1 with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri forced him to take to the escape road.
When he rejoined ahead of Norris, the team told him to hand the position back to avoid a penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage.
| Lap | Verstappen | Lambiase |
| 3 | “I got forced off. I was ahead at the apex, and he opened the wheel and got forced off.” | “Understood, Max.” |
| 4 | Max, the incident is under investigation. I think our recommendation is you let this go, we can talk about it later. So if you let Lando past down to Turn 1.” | |
| “Why couldn’t they not just say what they think and then we decide?” | ||
| “OK, so you can just drive people off the track then? Then, you can tell the FIA that’s how we’re gonna race from now onwards – just driving people off the road.” |
Later on in the race, Verstappen could be heard making complaints about the balance of his RB20 which was stopping him from catching up with Piastri and Norris and putting him under threat from Lewis Hamilton.
After being undercut by Hamilton during the first round of pit stops, Verstappen was faced with having to overtake him for position. When he made a move around the outside of Turn 2, his car ran wide and off track.
| Lap | Verstappen | Lambiase |
| 36 | “I’m minus five brake bias and the thing just doesn’t f—– turn. It’s unbelievable.” | |
| 41 | “Mode 9, or press and hold the overtake -” | |
| “I’m minus five brake bias and the thing just doesn’t turn. It’s unbelievable.” | ||
| “Then press and hold the overtake if you’re in Mode 7, Max, thank you.” |
Verstappen then started to criticise the team for its strategy, realising that not clearing Hamilton put his chances of finishing on the podium at risk.
| Lap | Verstappen | Lambiase |
| 42 | “It’s quite impressive how we let ourselves get undercut and just completely f—– my race.” |
Max Verstappen complains about Red Bull strategy in Hungary
The team decided to go longer again at the end of the second stint, which put him at risk of being undertcut by Charles Leclerc. The Ferrari driver put in a blistering stint and was helped partially by Verstappen and Hamilton losing time battling each other.
When Verstappen pitted again on Lap 49, the team told him not to be too hard on the tyres. But Verstappen was irate by this point, knowing that he faced the prospect of falling behind Leclerc – which he did.
After passing the Ferrari he set his sights again on Hamilton, but on Lap 63 the Mercedes driver ran him out wide at Turn 2.
| Lap | Verstappen | Lambiase |
| 54 | “Well, that’s some gentle introduction.” | |
| “No mate, don’t give me that b——- now. You guys gave me this f—— strategy, OK? I’m trying to rescue what’s left. For f—- sake.” | ||
| 63 | “Shouldn’t you leave a car’s width?” | |
| “We think you were behind at the apex, Max.” | ||
| “OK, whatever, mate.” |
Two laps later Verstappen would collide with Hamilton after making a move on the inside of Turn 1. The Red Bull driver locked up both front tyres, causing his rear left to collide with Hamilton’s front right and sending the RB20 briefly airborne and bouncing into the run-off area.
When he eventually took the chequered flag in fifth place, Lambiase told him he was summoned to the medical delegate after his crash with Hamilton which received a sarcastic response.
| Lap | Verstappen | Lambiase |
| 65 | “He moved under braking.” | |
| “I’m not going to get into a radio fight with the other teams, Max. We’ll let the stewards do their thing. It’s childish on the radio, childish.” | ||
| 70 | “I understand the medical delegate needs to have a look at you, examine you, under parc ferme conditions when you get out.” | |
| “If they could send the medical delegate up to the stewards, maybe they can have a look if they are all okay.” | ||
Verstappen was highly critical of the team post-race when speaking to the media, remarking that he felt they did not try to listen to him over his concerns over their strategy.
The Dutchman took away 10 points while main rivals McLaren achieved a one-two with Piastri and Norris, although it was not without controversy. The team made a strategy call which Red Bull team principal Christian Horner ‘didn’t understand’ and led to team orders.
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