Max Verstappen’s FP2 Incident Sparks Red Bull Warning at Hungarian Grand Prix
During the second practice session at the Hungarian Grand Prix, Red Bull Racing received a formal warning from officials after Max Verstappen disposed of a towel from his cockpit mid-session. The incident raised concerns about the car’s safe operation on track.
As Verstappen navigated the first sector, he was observed discarding the towel to avoid potential interference with the pedals. He articulated his decision, stating, “It’s just a towel that you normally wipe your face with when you come back in… instead of it maybe potentially flying in between my feet, I drove offline and got rid of it in the safest way possible. I think the stewards understand that.”
The stewards, however, determined that the car was released in an unsafe condition due to the towel being left in the cockpit. Their statement noted, “The towel had the potential to become lodged in the footwell and interfere with the driver’s ability to fully control the car.” While acknowledging the nature of the object as less hazardous than a hard item, they issued a warning to the team.
This incident unfolded during a challenging session for Verstappen, who finished 14th and over a second behind session leader Lando Norris. The Dutch driver reported a lack of grip and balance, saying, “It’s difficult to say what the exact problem is – nothing really worked… McLaren looks really on it – they’re flying.”
As Red Bull evaluates their performance ahead of the main event, the team faces scrutiny to rectify these issues and regain competitiveness on track.
