Verstappen Throws in the Towel, Literally, as Red Bull Struggles in Hungary – Max Verstappen’s second practice session at the Hungarian Grand Prix featured a moment of literal symbolism, as the Dutchman did something rarely seen in Formula 1, he chucked a towel out of his Red Bull mid-session. The white cloth fluttered out between Turns 3 and 4 at the Hungaroring, prompting a wave of bemused reactions from fans and a mild rebuke from the stewards.
The four-time world champion later explained the odd incident: “It was just a towel you normally use to wipe your face when you get back to the pits,” Verstappen shrugged. “For some reason, it was still in the car when I left the garage. Rather than risk it slipping down between the pedals, I got off the racing line and got rid of it.”
A pragmatic move from the Dutchman, but still one that landed him in front of the FIA stewards for a quick post-session debrief. The verdict? Red Bull were let off with a warning after the FIA concluded the towel’s presence technically rendered the car “unsafe”, but, in the spirit of discretion (and perhaps common sense), the commissioners opted for leniency.
A Warning from the FIA, but No Penalty
In the official ruling, the stewards noted that the towel had inadvertently slipped into the cockpit area, most likely during pre-run preparations. Verstappen only noticed once out on track and made a conscious effort to jettison the fluffy intruder in a safe manner.
“When he realised this, he drove all the way to the right side of the track and attempted to throw the towel far away from the racing line,” read the stewards’ explanation.
They acknowledged that while the towel wasn’t a solid object capable of significant damage, it still posed a theoretical risk by potentially slipping into the footwell, hence the technical breach of Article 34.14 c) concerning the release of a vehicle in an unsafe condition.
Nevertheless, given the soft and non-lethal nature of the item in question, the FIA opted for a warning and spared Red Bull any harsher penalty. A firm but gentle rap on the knuckles, and no doubt a note-to-self for the team’s mechanics to check the cockpit more carefully next time.
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Red Bull’s Performance Woes: “Nothing Is Working”
Towel theatrics aside, Verstappen had bigger issues to contend with in Budapest. The world champion could only manage 14th place in FP2, trailing the session leader by over a second. His frustration was plain to hear.
“Nothing is working right now,” he said bluntly.
“The grip level was extremely low. I had no real feel for the car, no balance. Honestly, it’s hard to even pinpoint the main issue.”
One could be forgiven for thinking Red Bull had slipped into a time machine and been transported back to pre-2021 mediocrity. With McLaren flying and Ferrari resurgent, the mighty RB21 suddenly looked like a mule in a field of thoroughbreds.
Verstappen admitted that second place, let alone victory, looked like a distant dream. “McLaren are literally flying. But even second place is far off for us at the moment.”
Yuki Tsunoda Leads Verstappen, For Now
To add a little more salt to the championship leader’s wounds, teammate Yuki Tsunoda finished the day ahead of him — although only just, in ninth place. The Japanese driver was quick to downplay any suggestion of a breakthrough.
“I don’t think balance is our main problem,” said Tsunoda. “Grip is the real issue. I should be feeling it, but right now it just isn’t there.”
He did at least see some signs of improvement between the two Friday sessions. “We changed a lot of things for FP2, and I’m sure there are positives to take from both our cars. But we’ve still got work to do, big work.”
Fundamental Issues Beneath the Surface
Tsunoda hinted at a deeper flaw within the RB21 that may have escaped scrutiny until now.
“I think there’s something fundamental that we’re missing. Something we’ve overlooked,” he speculated. “We’ve got to figure it out by tomorrow if we want any chance of recovering for qualifying.”
It is not often that Red Bull find themselves in this position — looking up from the midfield with McLaren and Ferrari having bolted off into the sunset. But here we are, in a season where unpredictability has become the new normal.
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A Towel, a Warning, and a Reality Check
If ever there was a moment that symbolised Red Bull’s Friday woes in Hungary, it was Verstappen tossing a towel out of his car. The metaphor was too perfect to ignore. While the FIA stewards chose not to overreact, it’s clear the team have much more pressing issues to solve than discarded face cloths.
From low grip to disappearing balance and McLaren’s blistering pace, Red Bull look like they’ve arrived at the Hungaroring with the wrong toolkit entirely. And the clock is ticking.
Qualifying looms on Saturday, and if the champions want to salvage something from this weekend, they’ll need more than a few aero tweaks. They’ll need a miracle, or at the very least, a proper diagnosis of why their once-dominant machine now behaves like an ironing board on wheels.
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