Ferrari caught out by Verstappen's 29-lap soft tyre strategy in Hungary

Max Verstappen salvaged second place at the Hungarian Grand Prix with a remarkable 29-lap stint on soft tyres, a strategy that blindsided Ferrari and denied the Scuderia a podium finish. Despite the SF-26 boasting strong underlying pace, both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton finished behind Kimi Antonelli after early strategy calls failed to deliver track position. Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur admitted the team never expected the Red Bull to survive nearly half the race on softs, while Red Bull principal Laurent Mekies praised his team's "spicy" decisions on the pit wall.

Why it matters:

Ferrari had the speed to challenge for the podium but once again squandered performance through execution. Vasseur noted that had Leclerc secured second into Turn 2, the race might have unfolded very differently. Verstappen's runner-up finish underscored Red Bull's strategic bravery, proving the team can still out-think the field even when its car is struggling.

The details:

• Ferrari started both drivers on softs but gained no ground off the line. Hamilton bailed to hards after just 13 laps, with Leclerc following three laps later, only to find the compound lacked pace.
• Hamilton's early stop briefly triggered an undercut on Verstappen, but the Dutchman swiftly reclaimed the position with a pass into Turn 1.
• As the hard tyres faded, Hamilton pitted again after 17 laps, forcing both Ferraris onto three-stop strategies with another set of hards.
• Verstappen surprisingly switched to scrubbed softs on lap 41. When Oscar Piastri's stranded McLaren triggered a VSC on lap 56, Ferrari pitted for fresh softs expecting Red Bull to cover the move.
• Red Bull kept Verstappen out, and he managed the softs for 29 laps to snatch second. Hamilton later fell behind Antonelli and collected a five-second pit-lane speeding penalty, dropping him to fifth behind Leclerc.

Between the lines:

The weekend exposed a clear gap in strategic risk-taking among the top teams. While Ferrari cycled through aggressive early stops and struggled for pace on hards, Red Bull gambled on tyre life and was rewarded. Vasseur defended his team's undercut logic, but misjudging Verstappen's soft-tyre longevity proved costly. With Lando Norris dominating in the McLaren and Red Bull maximizing difficult weekends, Ferrari's inability to convert raw speed into results threatens its 2026 championship hopes.