How Verstappen’s race engineer put a stop to ‘childish radio fights’ in Hungarian GP · RaceFans

Three weeks ago in Austria, Max Verstappen and race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase used their radio communications to press home their version of events to the watching stewards as the world champion sparred with Lando Norris.

But Verstappen often didn’t the kind of support he is used to from Lambiase during his ill-tempered drive to fifth place in yesterday’s Hungarian Grand Prix.

McLaren criticised Red Bull’s radio comments after the race in Austria, saying they were incorrect to accuse Norris of breaking the rules. “I don’t think anybody thought Lando did anything wrong,” said McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown.

“I think things are going to happen on track, but I think we need to all be honest with each other and our drivers. To kind of lay the blame in front of everyone at Lando, when I think it was clear it wasn’t Lando’s fault, was just inappropriate.” The FIA later confirmed Verstappen should have been given a formal warning for his driving during the race.

Have Red Bull taken that criticism on board? Lambiase was far less willing than usual to indulge Verstappen’s complaints, and eventually shut them down completely, during a race which clearly taxed the patience of both.

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Verstappen’s Hungarian Grand Prix radio

Jump to:

“We’ve got the pace here”
“It’s understeering and oversteering”
“We feel it’s slightly on the early side”
“It’s unbelievable”
“Press and hold the overtake”
“It’s quite impressive how we let ourselves get undercut”
“Don’t give me that bullshit”
“It’s childish, on the radio”
“Send the medical delegate up to see the stewards”

“We’ve got the pace here”

The first flashpoint occured within seconds of the start. From third on the grid, Verstappen went off at the first corner and rejoined in front of Norris.

While Norris pointed out Verstappen had approached the corner with the intention of running wide and passing him, the Red Bull driver insisted he had been forced off. As race control confirmed the matter had been referred to the stewards, Red Bull told their driver to give up the place to avoid a penalty.

Significantly, on this occasion Lambiase did not tell Verstappen he was wrong, confirming “I agree with you” after he’d let Norris go. But they did not see eye-to-eye on other incidents later in the race, and Lambiase had made it clear he was not willing to let the argument go on.

Red Bull decided it was better to avoid incurring the wrath of the stewards and live to fight another day. At this stage in the race they believed their car was quick enough to fight Norris.

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“It’s understeering and oversteering”

As the first stint unfolded, Verstappen became increasingly frustrated with his car’s handling. In previous races this year Lambiase has made relatively few balance suggestions, certainly compared to the stream of recommendations Sergio Perez has received in the other Red Bull, but on this occasion he and Verstappen were clearly leaving no stone unturned in pursuit of improvements during the race.

“We feel it’s slightly on the early side”

Red Bull’s strategy calls were a major factor in Verstappen’s rising frustration. He was especially unhappy key rivals he was racing made their first pit stops before him in an attempt to ‘undercut’ them.

At this stage in the race Red Bull were clearly alert to the possibility Lewis Hamilton behind Verstappen would make an early pit stop, and advised Verstappen when the Mercedes began to increase his pace. But they were also hesitant to bring Verstappen in too soon.

Their goal was to ensure his final stint began late enough that they could run the quicker medium compound tyre. But in doing that they allowed Verstappen to get trapped behind Hamilton.

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“It’s unbelievable”

Verstappen closed in on Hamilton in the second stint, but his frustrations with his car’s handling remained.

“Press and hold the overtake”

Once Verstappen got within range of Hamilton, he was able to deploy full power in his attempt to overtake. However at one point he appeared to encounter problems activating the correct setting, and as he came on to the pit straight Lambiase helped him find the correct mode.

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“It’s quite impressive how we let ourselves get undercut”

Verstappen’s ire rose further as Hamilton rebuffed his attempts to pass. At one stage the Red Bull driver appeared to have completed a pass into turn two, only two run wide.

Soon afterwards, pushing Verstappen to a new peak of frustration, Hamilton dived into the pits before the Red Bull driver once more.

“Don’t give me that bullshit”

Red Bull extended Verstappen’s middle stint to lap 49, later than both McLaren drivers, giving him a 21-lap run to the chequered flag on mediums. Even so, they were anxious not to take too much life out of the tyre at the very beginning of the stint, to ensure they still had enough in them to pass the cars ahead.

Verstappen, no doubt eyeing the bonus point for fastest lap, immediately reeled off the quickest lap of the race so far. This scenario has played out previously this year, and Lambiase gently admonished him.

But Verstappen was in no mood to hear it. His response was a torrent of invective punctuated with expletives:

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“It’s childish, on the radio”

Any relief Verstappen felt at the ease with which he got past Charles Leclerc, despite the Ferrari driver being on the same compound as him, only lasted as long as it took him to catch Hamilton. The Mercedes driver, running to the end on hards, was much less obliging.

Verstappen took a speculative look at the outside of Hamilton at turn two on lap 62. His rival was never going to leave the door open, and the rules didn’t require him to. Lambiase knew this, but for once, perhaps riled by the ear-bashing he’d received up to that point, was not prepared to indulge Verstappen’s performative complaints.

The next time around, Verstappen spied an opportunity to attack Hamilton as they lapped Alexander Albon, who was unwilling to move his Williams off-line. Verstappen made for the inside at turn one, locked up as Hamilton squeezed him and the pair made contact, the Red Bull pitched briefly into the air.

Again, Verstappen opened his radio in the hope of triggering a penalty for his rival. But again Lambiase shut him down, this time harder than ever. It proved effective: Verstappen did not make another remark about the incident from that moment on. After the race the stewards cleared both drivers.

“Send the medical delegate up to see the stewards”

Although Verstappen said little over the final laps, he had one parting shot for the stewards after taking the chequered flag.

Unusually, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner did not come on Verstappen’s radio at the end of the race, as he usually does to offer congratulations or commiserations or, as in Austria, blame a rival driver for a collision. It gave the impression of a chastened Red Bull team at the end of a race where Verstappen’s combative driving had not paid off.

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