Max Verstappen and Gianpiero Lambiase have cleared the air after their tense Hungarian Grand Prix exchanges.
- Red Bull’s Christian Horner mediated a sit-down to resolve the issue.
- Verstappen felt Red Bull’s RB20 upgrades were not up to par.
- Verstappen managed a P4 finish at Spa despite starting P11 due to a penalty.
- Team dynamics improved after discussions, but car performance remains a concern.
Max Verstappen has confirmed that everything is fine between him and his race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, following some heated exchanges during the Hungarian Grand Prix.
The situation was serious enough for Red Bull team boss Christian Horner to step in and arrange a meeting between Verstappen, Lambiase, and technical boss Pierre Wache ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix.
Verstappen felt that a lot of his frustration was because Red Bull’s upgraded RB20 car was “not good enough.” He said, “A lot of things are also taken out of context.” Verstappen added that after their discussion, “Everything has been resolved.”
Despite the turmoil, Verstappen finished P4 at the Belgian Grand Prix, even though he had to start from P11 due to a penalty. The driver showed resilience, with his car nearly six-tenths of a second faster than Charles Leclerc during qualifying.
Verstappen and Lambiase, described as F1’s “old married couple” by Horner, seemed to have restored their working relationship. However, Verstappen noted that the team faces a tough challenge as rivals like McLaren and Mercedes have closed the performance gap.
Verstappen acknowledged the difficulty Red Bull now faces. He remarked, “We have to get better, because otherwise it will be a long season.” He hopes to win a few more races before the season ends but admits it won’t be easy.
Verstappen concluded by reflecting on the season, stating that each race has been a learning experience and one must be “realistic” about the ups and downs. He emphasized, “There will come a time when the weather changes, and that has been going on for a few races now.”
Max Verstappen and Gianpiero Lambiase have resolved their issues, but Red Bull still faces challenges in maintaining top performance.
Source: Planetf1
