What Max Verstappen said to Daniel Ricciardo about ‘so slow’ Red Bull before Hungarian GP

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Red Bull is facing real pressure to improve after McLaren comfortably beat them in a one-two victory at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

The defending World Champions brought a raft of updates to the RB20 at Hungary in a bid to stay ahead of McLaren, who have overtaken Red Bull in the F1 development war and are now regular favourites to win races.

Verstappen’s car had all of the upgrades fitted, with the most noticeable change being the absence of the cannons on the engine cover. Red Bull had designed slimmer bodywork towards the rear of the car, which is primarily set to be used on high downforce tracks.

They also made changes to the halo, rear wheel bodywork, front wing elements and front wishbone profiles. While Verstappen was close to Lando Norris’ pole lap on Saturday, Red Bull could not keep up with them on race pace.

Speaking to Daniel Ricciardo before the race during the driver’s parade, Verstappen could be overheard discussing his thoughts on the latest car developments from the Milton Keynes squad.

Max Verstappen gives verdict on Red Bull car upgrades in Hungary

While the parade is part of the pre-race pomp for fans, often drivers discuss matters with each other before the race as it is one of the few moments they get to spend time in the same company.

Verstappen was speaking to Ricciardo, who could potentially be in the running to replace Sergio Perez if the Mexcian fails to improve his form significantly at Spa Francorchamps.

The camera microphones picked up part of the discussion between the pair, with Verstappen appearing to discuss how the recent updates have affected the handling of his RB20.

“The corners might be better but the characteristic of the car is still the same. So slow in the [corner] entry, the rear, and in the corners understeer. I think we overdid it. It’s so on the rear.”

Red Bull overtaken by McLaren in development war

If the triple-header was not a sign that Red Bull’s advantage has disappeared, then the Hungarian GP was confirmation that the Milton Keynes squad faces a challenge until the end of the season.

The updates they brought to Hungary were originally planned for after the summer break, but Red Bull fast-tracked them in a bid to find some lap time.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Red Bull Racing from engine to Ford links

Although this latest package is designed to bring them more performance on high downforce circuits, the team said on Friday that it remained to be seen whether it would be a trend for the rest of the season.

Verstappen finished fifth in the race but was unhappy with the team strategy, while Sergio Perez climbed up to seventh after crashing in qualifying.