Verstappen 'Shocked' by Hungary Podium as Red Bull Admits Problems Persist

Max Verstappen was left stunned after claiming second place at the Hungarian Grand Prix, openly wondering how he ended up on the podium in a damaged Red Bull that struggled with balance issues all weekend. While the result offered some encouragement, both the four-time world champion and team principal Laurent Mekies made it clear that the squad's fundamental problems are far from over.

Why it matters:

Red Bull heads into the summer break sitting fourth in the constructors' championship, a stark reminder of how far the team has fallen after starting the year with an overweight car. With Mercedes leading by more than 200 points and McLaren producing a major step forward with its latest upgrade in Hungary, Milton Keynes is under pressure to fix the RB22's core issues before the title fight slips away.

The details:

• Verstappen revealed he noticed further damage on his car during the race, adding to a persistent oversteer problem that left him uncomfortable from Friday onward.
• Mekies admitted the team "never managed to give Max and Isack Hadjar a car they could push with," noting that unlike recent races in Austria or Spa, the setup was never truly "in the ballpark."
• On raw pace, Mekies insisted that only Lando Norris was clearly faster than Verstappen, proving the speed exists but remains locked inside a frustratingly narrow operating window.
• The Red Bull boss also acknowledged that McLaren's new package produced what he called a "big jump" in performance, making the Woking team's pace look particularly impressive in Budapest.

What's next:

The focus now shifts to Zandvoort after the summer break, where Red Bull must finally understand why the RB22 is so sensitive to setup changes and track conditions. Mekies emphasized that expanding the car's operating window and solving its corner-to-corner balance issues is critical if the team is to stop losing ground and start closing the gap to the front.