Challenging Times at Red Bull as Verstappen and Ricciardo Crash in Hungary

[Paul Jeffrey]

Max Verstappen would have to shoulder plenty of blame after the Hungarian Grand Prix, with the Red Bull youngster taking out his teammate on the opening lap.

Verstappen and Ricciardo would find themselves fighting for the same piece of tarmac as the cars careered off the starting blocks in Hungary

Following his early exit from the race, Ricciardo would be understandably disappointed with the retirement, and had plenty of fiery words for his young team mate. Speaking with media during the race, Ricciardo labelled Verstappen an "amateur", placing the blame firmly at the door of the other Red Bull driver

“There was never a pass there,” Ricciardo told NBC. “It was just a mistake. There’s no way there was ever room, because Valtteri was covering the inside anyway.

"I couldn’t have done anything else. I was just on my line. Obviously he got the penalty and all that, and it’s obvious whose mistake it was, it doesn’t change my race.

“It was out of my hands, you’re never going to get that place back in Turn 2 the way it was. It’s just overambitious. That’s youth.”
​

Speaking later in the day to the assembled Formula One media, Ricciardo would be no less harsh in his judgement of the Verstappen move, something that will undoubtedly be cause for further discussion within the Red Bull motorhome tonight.

“It’s not like he was trying to pass, there was no room. I don’t think he likes when a team mate gets ahead of him. He had the whole race to repair the mistake. The pass wasn’t on – it wasn’t even a pass.”

"The team will do their bit, I’ll do mine. For sure we’ll sort it out."

“Honestly, I don’t think it’s (about him) trying too hard. I don’t think there’s any excuse for it. He tried outside T1 - it didn’t work. He got the line taken away from him, he sees me goes past, thinks ‘I got to fix this’ and we crash.”
​

The retirement for Ricciardo will be seen as a big missed opportunity for a Red Bull team on form in Hungary, and with all the main championship rivals wrapping up big points the pain from this DNF will be felt even harder back in Milton Keynes.

Could this accident see the beginning of a fractious relationship between the two Red Bull stars? Only time will tell...

 

[samcar304]

I understand Ricciardo is upset. But its not a nice way to blast your teammate like that. Max made a mistake. He admitted it in Post race interviews and it will be dealt with by the team behind close doors.

And he says the pass "wasn't on" His front wing was at Daniels rear tire. there was more than a sniff of the overtake being able to work. Its just he locked up and caused a crash. Without the lock up both drivers would have made it through and Daniel would have been ahead coming up to the right hander... It was just an accident.

It seems like FIA have asked their drivers (Across all sports) to act up recently... Buemi's antics in FE, Ricciardo being uncharacteristically resenting in an interview and Magnussen being quite crude to Hulkenberg.

 

[Frietpan]

stupid poll...Its obvious , but what a stupid penalty, bottas was never punished for the same actions in earlier races and vettel hit someone on purpose and got the same exact punishment... thats some bs.

 

[Deleted member 113561]

stupid poll...Its obvious , but what a stupid penalty, bottas was never punished for the same actions in earlier races and vettel hit someone on purpose and got the same exact punishment... thats some bs.

The penalty is clearly NOT bs
Verstappen had his car not under control and hit someone else, who DNF directly. This is a fair penalty.

The problem here is the inconsistency of the Stewards, in Baku they were waaaaaaay to soft ie. Or in GB Hamilton should have been penalized but political reasons denied that.

 

[Sean van Belkom]

As a Max Verstappen myself the penalty was deserved but 10sec is too harsh. He locked up and he collide it but he clearly didnt do that on purpose. I mean he could avoid the incident. But with Vettel had also 10sec penalty in baku where he did that on purpose

 

[Stefan Woudenberg]

Which penalty did Bottas got in Spain when he took out Max and Kimi?

I don't think the FIA/stewards are consistent with the penalties. Stupid poll btw as it's too obvious that Max was the one who hit Daniel.

 

[WOKOWEN1]

Honestly you people...why are you bringing Baku in the equation just to minimize the huge negative impact Verstappens mistake today had on Red bull championship standing? Verstappen is not a good driver yet. He still thinks he is driving on the PlayStation. He is not even on the quality level of a simracer. He has ruined his own season earlier this year by not having been carefull enough to take the car till the end of his races and now just ruined Ricciardo chance to stay in the top 3. Face it it was is fault. it's just sad that is team mate is paying for it now. I hate Vettel btw!

 

[Leonardo Chaves]

Max is always on edge and this time he judged it wrong, even worst for him that it was his team mate that he made this mistake against on track where Red Bull could've gotten a "great" result.

 

[Chobonator]

I would be confused at reading this, with my understanding of English suddenly at a challenge.

 

[WOKOWEN1]

So it's not good from Ricciardo to talk about Verstappen the way he did??? Is it on the other end ok for Verstappen to ruin Ricciardos race by simply diving into is car?

 

[WOKOWEN1]

The kid has to learn alot. In my opinion other drivers have been ostracized by far less.

 

[yusupov]

So it's not good from Ricciardo to talk about Verstappen the way he did??? Is it on the other end ok for Verstappen to ruin Ricciardos race by simply diving into is car?

from the way i read the transcript (i assume it was an interview after his retirement/during the race), RIC heavily implied, if not stated, he believed verstappen acted with intent because he was going to lose the position.

don't know about right or wrong, but surely you understand that's controversial & fuel-to-fire stuff for one teammate to say about another.

 

[WOKOWEN1]

It's funny how some enlightened english speakers find themselves commenting on the wrong subjects so oftenly

 

[ears]

It's been coming.

Verstappen is on the edge of acceptable, edge of traction, all the time. Sometimes the scales will tip the other way.

All part of being young and aggressive.

 

[Sharjeel]

The kid needs to pipe down. Clipping Vet's front wing in Canada, brake testing Kimi last year, trying to squeeze in to a gap in Spa, etc etc, the list goes on. People are going to quote Senna or Schumi's daredevilry but that doesn't make it right as it doesn't make them right.

 

[Shap]

4 votes for Ricciardo... Wonder which alternative facts the have to show.

 

[CC]

Maybe Max should stick to playing video games .

 

[Jeffers58]

stupid poll...Its obvious , but what a stupid penalty, bottas was never punished for the same actions in earlier races and vettel hit someone on purpose and got the same exact punishment... thats some bs.

Vettel's penalty in Baku was a 10-second stop-and-go, where mechanics can't work on the car. Verstappen was given a 10-second timed penalty, so the punishment he received wasn't as severe as what Vettel was handed in Baku. However I do agree, some of the stewarding this season has been inconsistent.

 

[Nick Hill]

Was fault ever really in doubt?

I consider myself a Ricciardo fan and thought he had a really good chance at a podium today, but Max got overaggressive and put a stop to those hopes. That leaves me feeling gutted for Dan, but honestly I can't muster up much ill will towards Max. I am neither a Verstappen lover nor hater, but I think his aggressive approach is just what F1 needs...even if sometimes one of "my" drivers is on the wrong end of it.

Some of these guys are so conservative and passive I want to scream (hell, the poster boy for "conservative and passive" won the whole damned thing last year). I think with Max its binary - he's either running in first, or he's a seething cauldron of aggression. That equals drama, which equals good TV!

 

[Nick Hill]

Oh, and just a general comment -

Max - probably faster (though not by much)
Dan - better racer