Formula 1 Racing

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

Start, Hungaroring, 2024

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”

Red Bull advised Verstappen to surrender the place he gave up by going off the track

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…

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