Red Bull Still Struggling to Keep Pace at Hungaroring
The Hungarian Grand Prix is off to an explosive start with a surprising result from the qualifying. From Charles LeClerc’s first pole of 2025 to an Aston Martin 3rd-row lockout with Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll making rare Q3 appearances, the grid is shaping up for an interesting race. While the result is exciting for many, not everyone is cheering. For four-time world champion Max Verstappen, qualifying was yet another display of Red Bull’s failure to produce a winning car.
Unlike today’s Qualifying result, the shortcomings of Oracle’s RB21 are no surprise at this point. Red Bull drivers Max Verstappen and Yuki Tsunoda have both complained of significant issues since the early season. Now, coming up on the August break, more than halfway through the 2025 GP calendar, it appears that Red Bull has been unable to address those complaints. The complaints have largely been consistent between the two drivers. Both note the car’s lack of grip, an issue that was blatantly apparent at Grand Prix Silverstone when Verstappen lost control and spun out, costing him a higher position. In an interview following the Qualifying, Verstappen reignited these issues, citing those same problems that have been haunting the RB21 all season.
Verstappen clearly shows frustration at the situation, and it’s no surprise why. In a season where McLaren is a dominant force running two strong drivers in a top-tier car, no one stands a chance at the podium without a strong composition of their own. Verstappen revealed that he had expected a stronger result going into Qualifying, but after feeling the car sliding just as it had been, he says that the reason he couldn’t keep pace is a mystery. Tsunoda, who did not make it past Q1 in the Qualifying, backs him up: “The grip we should normally get is not there.”
With the recent turmoil at Red Bull Racing, it seems that a true competitive chance may be out of reach this season. Verstappen has been unable to reach the podium in three races and is falling rapidly in the Driver’s Standings, and reports of a late box call for Tsunoda in Belgium suggest disarray behind the scenes. For Red Bull, the August break can’t come soon enough, hopefully giving them enough time to make adjustments to their car and finally address the problems holding their drivers back. In the meantime, with Verstappen and Tsunoda starting GP Hungary in 8th and 16th positions respectively, a podium finish looks unlikely.
