Max Verstappen believes the opening sessions of the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend could make a decisive difference to Red Bull’s prospects at the Hungaroring. Still searching for his first victory of the 2026 Formula 1 season, the four-time world champion has stressed the importance of finding the correct car set-up and becoming competitive immediately in Budapest.
Max Verstappen arrives in Hungary following his third podium of the championship at the Belgian Grand Prix. Although Spa-Francorchamps provided a positive result, the Dutch driver’s season has so far fallen short of expectations, and he remains without a Grand Prix victory heading into the final race before Formula 1’s summer break.
Max Verstappen still chasing his first victory of 2026
Currently seventh in the Formula 1 drivers’ standings, Max Verstappen returns to a circuit where he has enjoyed considerable success. The Red Bull driver recorded consecutive Hungarian Grand Prix victories in 2022 and 2023, making the Hungaroring a potentially encouraging venue for his latest attempt to return to the top step of the podium.
The challenge in Budapest will be completely different from the one Red Bull faced at Spa. While the Belgian circuit is dominated by long straights and high-speed sections, the Hungaroring places far greater emphasis on low-speed performance, aerodynamic balance and a driver’s confidence through its tightly connected sequence of corners.
Max Verstappen says the start of the weekend will be crucial
The Hungarian Grand Prix arrives at a calmer moment for Max Verstappen following Red Bull’s trouble-free weekend in Belgium. Nevertheless, the four-time world champion knows the team must quickly adapt its car to a circuit with entirely different characteristics.
“We had a positive race at Spa: everything went smoothly throughout the weekend and it was nice to reach 130 podiums with the Team,” Max Verstappen said. “Hungary, meanwhile, is the final race before the summer break, so it represents the last push.”
“It is a completely different circuit, with a different layout compared with Spa, and we will have to see how everything comes together and make sure we find the right set-up for the car. The start of the weekend makes a big difference and hopefully we can begin strongly straight away to be as competitive as possible.”
“It is exciting to see how we will perform there. We always receive tremendous support from the fans in Hungary, so we are looking forward to returning.”
The 2026 Hungarian Grand Prix timetable features the conventional format of three practice sessions before qualifying, giving Red Bull valuable preparation time as it searches for the set-up Max Verstappen believes will be essential.
Isack Hadjar targets first 2026 podium after Spa comeback
Isack Hadjar also travels to Budapest with renewed confidence after producing an impressive recovery drive in Belgium. The Red Bull driver climbed from 21st on the grid to finish sixth at Spa and now hopes to demonstrate the car’s potential from a more favourable starting position as he targets his first podium of the 2026 season.
His performances have already prompted discussion about Isack Hadjar’s growing importance to Red Bull. After maximising his opportunities in Belgium, the Frenchman believes the Hungaroring’s low-speed corners could be slightly better suited to the car.
“It is fantastic to head directly to Budapest after such a positive weekend at Spa and carry that momentum with us,” Isack Hadjar said. “The car proved to be really strong throughout the weekend and the result demonstrated that.”
“It was a shame that we had to start from the back, but we made the most of our potential and now we approach this race with a clean slate. The Hungaroring suits us slightly better with its low-speed corners, so that should help us extract the maximum from our set-up.”
“The team and I have been working non-stop since January and, with one final effort this week, we hope to head into our well-earned break with morale high.”
Red Bull therefore enters the final Grand Prix before the summer shutdown with both drivers carrying momentum from Spa. For Max Verstappen, however, the objective remains unchanged: establish competitiveness from the opening practice sessions and turn his previous Hungaroring success into the first victory of a challenging 2026 campaign.
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