Max Verstappen voiced significant frustration over team radio during the Hungarian Grand Prix qualifying session on Saturday, July 25, 2026. The Red Bull Racing driver’s outburst followed a challenging day at the Hungaroring circuit. Verstappen reportedly directed his discontent towards Laurent Mekies, stating, ‘What a shit weekend!’
The comment was broadcast after Verstappen’s final run in Q3, where he struggled to extract optimal performance from his RB22. This direct address to Mekies, currently the Team Principal for Racing Bulls, is an unusual occurrence during a live session.
Laurent Mekies, in his role as Team Principal, has been a vocal proponent of recent FIA directives concerning track limits and pit lane protocols. These new regulations, implemented for the Hungarian Grand Prix, have reportedly caused widespread issues across the paddock.
Verstappen’s frustration is understood to stem from the perceived negative impact of these directives on Red Bull Racing’s weekend preparations. Several lap times were invalidated for various teams during earlier practice sessions due to these stricter interpretations.
During qualifying, Verstappen ultimately secured a P6 starting position for Sunday’s main race. This result is notably below Red Bull Racing’s typical performance expectations. His fastest lap was approximately 0.7 seconds adrift of the pole position time.
The Dutchman reported persistent issues with the car’s balance throughout Free Practice and qualifying. Specific concerns included tyre warm-up characteristics and overall grip levels, particularly in the Hungaroring’s technical sections.
Red Bull Racing has faced unexpected difficulties in managing the car’s performance on the Hungarian circuit this weekend. The team has been working to address these challenges, but progress has been limited.
The ‘shit weekend’ comment encapsulates the team’s struggles to find a competitive setup. This situation sets up a challenging race for Verstappen from the third row of the grid on Sunday.
