Max Verstappen explains why it’s ‘fabulous’ Mercedes secured back-to-back F1 wins

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Red Bull driver Max Verstappen has explained why it is ‘fabulous’ that Mercedes go to the Hungarian Grand Prix after their back-to-back wins in Austria and at Silverstone.

The Silver Arrows endured their first winless season since 2011 last year. But George Russell and Lewis Hamilton have returned Mercedes to the top step of a Formula 1 podium and the latter even ended his 945-day drought. Now, F1 heads to another of Hamilton’s playgrounds.

Like at Silverstone where Hamilton has a record nine British Grand Prix wins, the 39-year-old has won the Hungarian GP a record eight times. It was even at the Hungaroring back in 2013 that Hamilton won with Mercedes for the first time after switching from McLaren that term.

Max Verstappen thinks it is ‘great’ for F1 to have teams beating Red Bull

Hamilton withstood late pressure from Verstappen during the British GP to further his status as its most successful driver. The Red Bull driver reeled the Briton in through the closing laps at Silverstone. But he finished 1.465 seconds back despite the 26-year-old’s tyre advantage.

It even meant Red Bull did not win back-to-back Grand Prix for the first time since the 2022 Austrian GP after Verstappen crashed with Lando Norris in Styria this season. The Dutchman and McLaren pilot collided with seven laps left to gift Russell only his second Grand Prix win.

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Yet, despite his own misfortune at the 2024 Austrian GP and British GP, Verstappen believes it is ‘fabulous’ that Mercedes won the races. The three-time reigning champion believes it is great for Formula 1 that more teams are able to fight at the front even at Red Bull’s expense.

“We’ve had a great run in recent years and the first part of this season was also very strong,” Verstappen said, via quotes by Speedweek. “But it’s become clear in recent races how the opponents are catching up.

“Every race is a real multi-event [and] that’s fabulous. I assume that it will continue like this. How it will end up, nobody can say, and that is great for the sport.”

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Verstappen has been Red Bull’s sole challenger against Mercedes pair Russell and Hamilton plus Norris of McLaren of late. Sergio Perez faces doubts surrounding his future at Red Bull after continuing to struggle with the 34-year-old last on a podium at the Chinese Grand Prix.

In that time, Norris became a Grand Prix winner for the first time at the Miami GP and took the fight to Verstappen at the Emilia Romagna GP. Charles Leclerc even won the Monaco GP for Ferrari, while Russell took pole position at the Canadian GP and Norris at the Spanish GP.

Red Bull could at least celebrate Verstappen winning at Imola by 0.725s to Norris before the Dutchman won in Montreal and Barcelona. Now, F1 flies to Budapest and Red Bull will hope they learnt from struggling with the kerbs at the Monaco GP for a strong Hungarian GP race.