Red Bull kept Max Verstappen on a ‘tight leash’ after Hungarian Grand Prix qualifying ‘disaster’

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Max Verstappen suffered even more problems with his RB22 during qualifying at the Hungarian Grand Prix, prompting an abrupt end to his media duties.

The Dutchman had a late spin during Q3, with Red Bull’s ‘Macarena’ rear wing understood to be the cause. It marks the third incident Verstappen has had with the wing, having had spins at the Red Bull Ring and Silverstone.

The four-time champion could only manage P6, but penalties for Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Antonelli promote Verstappen to fourth for the Hungarian Grand Prix. But he could not hide his frustration after qualifying, even if he only got a short period to express it.

The Hungarian GP grid after Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Antonelli’s penalties – Who will gain the most positions?

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Max Verstappen was kept on a ‘tight leash’ as Red Bull called an immediate meeting after Hungarian GP qualifying

Verstappen’s anger towards Red Bull and the new regulations have been well-documented. At Spa, Verstappen likened his RB22 to Formula 3 due to the impact the long straights had on the battery.

But at the Hungaroring, it was another rear-wing failure that cost Red Bull’s star driver again. Verstappen labelled qualifying a ‘complete disaster’ and said that his car was ‘undrivable’.

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These comments were damning, but Red Bull seemed quick to address their issues. According to a report from De Telegraaf, Verstappen only got ‘a minute and a half’ with international reporters and ‘two minutes’ with Dutch press in the media pen.

He was kept on a ‘tight leash’ by Red Bull. The team ‘didn’t want him to ramble on for ten minutes’, but there was a more pressing matter at hand which explained his brief media appearance.

Team principal Laurent Mekies called Verstappen and teammate Isack Hadjar, who will start the Hungarian GP in eighth, for an immediate meeting after qualifying. Presumably, this would be to address the issues with the RB22 and find a solution for the race.

Red Bull need to find answers for their persistent problems. The team had redefined the Macarena wing after Verstappen’s DNF at Silverstone, but that had clearly not solved the issue.

Pierre Wache is now under pressure at Red Bull after his technical developments have failed to bring improvements to the car. It feels like a race against time for the Milton Keynes outfit, especially with all the noise around Verstappen and his future.