Jolyon Palmer thinks Fernando Alonso did three-DNF F1 driver ‘a favour’ that hurt Max Verstappen in Hungarian Grand Prix

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Red Bull star Max Verstappen not only endured his worst penalty-free finish of 2025 in the Hungarian Grand Prix but also his worst result since visiting Budapest during 2021.

The 27-year-old could only manage a P9 finish at the Hungaroring on Sunday, after also only qualifying in P8 for his worst starting position so far this year. Not since the 2021 Hungarian GP when Verstappen also came home just P9 had he registered a penalty-free finish as poor.

Only in the 2025 Spanish Grand Prix when the Red Bull star was classified in P10 had he also been listed as lowly in the final results during the past 94 rounds. Verstappen received a 10-second penalty for driving into George Russell in Spain, which dropped him from P5 to P10.

Ninth place was all the four-time defending F1 drivers’ champion could manage last Sunday, though, after Red Bull struggled with their set-up for the Hungarian GP. Verstappen has now hit the summer break third in the standings yet is 97 points behind Oscar Piastri of McLaren.

Jolyon Palmer thinks Fernando Alonso did Gabriel Bortoleto ‘a favour’ in the Hungarian GP

On top of Red Bull’s set-up struggles, falling behind Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson at the start of the Hungarian GP did not help Verstappen. The Dutchman even found himself stuck behind Sauber rookie Gabriel Bortoleto until Red Bull called their star in for his pit stop on Lap 17/70.

READ MORE: Who is 2025 Sauber driver Gabriel Bortoleto? Everything you need to know

Verstappen clung onto the Brazilian’s tail all throughout his opening stint as part of the train that Aston Martin ace Fernando Alonso created in P5. Alonso and Bortoleto embracing one-stop strategies also helped them finish in P5 and P6, while Verstappen struggled with traffic.

Jolyon Palmer believes Bortoleto will have learnt a lot from following Alonso about how the two-time F1 champion manages Grands Prix. While Alonso’s speed during the opening stint helped to hurt Verstappen’s race, he showed he had more pace in his pocket when needed.

Palmer told the F1 website: “Whilst Bortoleto has been a Saturday star, Hulkenberg has still shown his class on Sundays this year, particularly with his superb Silverstone podium. The gap between the Sauber teammates is closing on race day now, though, and Bortoleto’s drive in Hungary was a great example of the Brazilian learning and improving.

“Executing a one-stop strategy wasn’t easy, even if it ended up being the best way to go. It required a fair amount of tyre management in some phases of the race on a track where it’s easy to find yourself sliding around and degrading the rears and the left front.

“Probably, Bortoleto’s mentor Fernando Alonso did him a favour and showed him exactly how races can be managed, as the rookie trailed the veteran for so many laps en route to the pair finishing in fifth and sixth respectively.”

Rookie Gabriel Bortoleto secured his best F1 finish so far with P6 in the Hungarian GP

Alonso knew Aston Martin were not in the fight for the podium places in the Hungarian GP, so the 2005 and 2006 champion backed the pack up to nurse his medium C4 Pirelli tyres. It was a clear tactic, as Alonso then flew away from Bortoleto once rival drivers started to pit.

READ MORE: Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso’s life outside F1 from net worth to Cars 2

Aston Martin and Sauber then embracing one-stop strategies for Alonso and Bortoleto even then helped them finish in front of Verstappen, whom Red Bull kept on a two-stop strategy to try to pass the Spaniard and his mentee. Alonso is part of Bortoleto’s management team.

Sixth place in the Hungarian GP marks Bortoleto’s best F1 result so far, as well, after finishing in the points for the third time in the last four rounds. The Brazilian scored the first points of his rookie F1 season with P8 in the Austrian GP, before coming home in P9 in the Belgian GP.

Bortoleto had failed to score a point through the first 10 rounds of his rookie campaign with Sauber. The 20-year-old also failed to finish the Australian and Miami Grands Prix before the Austrian GP yielded his first points, followed by his third DNF so far in the British Grand Prix.