Windsor explains why Verstappen’s unbroadcast Hungarian GP radio exchange was ‘like a red rag to a bull’ – Peter Windsor believes Max Verstappen produced one of the standout performances of the 2026 Hungarian Grand Prix, despite spending much of the race frustrated by the handling of his Red Bull.
The veteran Formula 1 analyst praised both Verstappen’s adaptability behind the wheel and Red Bull’s bold strategic decisions, while revealing that an off-air radio exchange between the Dutchman and race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase became one of his favourite moments of the weekend.
Verstappen eventually crossed the line in second place behind Lando Norris, matching his best result of the season after a race in which he repeatedly complained about the balance of the RB22.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Windsor argued that Verstappen’s recovery drive deserved enormous credit given the difficulties he faced throughout the afternoon.
Windsor praises Verstappen’s defensive driving and Red Bull strategy
Although McLaren and Ferrari appeared to have superior pace during the opening stint, Windsor said Verstappen constantly adapted his driving style to maximise the package underneath him.
“Max deserves all the compliments because he was constantly on top of things and kept adapting his driving style,” Windsor explained.
“He made sure he never left the inside open on corner exits so Lewis Hamilton had no opportunity.”
The analyst also highlighted Red Bull’s strategic gamble to switch Verstappen onto the soft tyre during the second half of the race.
According to Windsor, Red Bull had already discussed the possibility with Verstappen over team radio before committing to the decision.
He recalled the exchange:
“They said to Max, ‘We may switch to the soft tyres, what do you think?’ He replied: ‘The car is hopeless on the medium tyres and hopeless on the hard tyres. I have no idea. Do whatever you want.'”
The gamble that carried Verstappen to second place
Once Red Bull fitted the soft tyres, Verstappen questioned whether anyone believed they could realistically last the remaining 28 laps.
Windsor recalled Gianpiero Lambiase’s response.
“Max asked if there was any reason to believe he could do 28 laps on the soft tyres. GP paused for a moment and then said, ‘Yes, there is.'”
Windsor admitted the reply sounded far from convincing.
He noted that while drivers further down the field—including Fernando Alonso—had completed lengthy stints on the soft compound, that offered little reassurance for someone fighting at the front.
“I don’t think Red Bull gave him the answer he really wanted,” Windsor said.
“He wanted genuine feedback about whether anyone at the front had managed that during the weekend. Nobody had, so it was really a leap into the unknown.”
Nevertheless, Windsor was impressed by how Verstappen adapted his driving throughout the stint.
“He constantly adjusted his style. His lap times were actually very good compared to the drivers around him.”
The complexion of the race then changed dramatically when Oscar Piastri retired with a gearbox failure, promoting Verstappen into a stronger position while triggering a Virtual Safety Car.
Lambiase’s joke became the race’s defining radio moment
The Virtual Safety Car presented Red Bull with another difficult strategic decision. While Ferrari and most of Verstappen’s direct rivals stopped for fresh soft tyres, Red Bull elected to leave Verstappen on track and prioritise track position.
“It was a short VSC,” Windsor explained.
“It gave Max track position, but everyone else was on fresh soft tyres. That made things very difficult.”
Despite older tyres, Verstappen successfully held off both Ferraris to secure second place behind Norris. For Windsor, however, the best moment arrived during the closing laps.
Verstappen asked Lambiase over team radio for the gap behind him.
Lambiase replied that the gap was 6.3 seconds.
Verstappen immediately responded that he wasn’t asking about the lapped traffic—he wanted to know the gap to Kimi Antonelli.
“Lambiase replied that 6.3 seconds was the gap to Kimi,” Windsor laughed. “I think even Max had to laugh at that point.”
Windsor believes the dry response had exactly the motivational effect Lambiase intended.
“I thought it was a brilliant moment,” he said. “If you say something like that to Max Verstappen, it’s like waving a red rag in front of a bull.”
“The second place was there to be taken, and he wasn’t going to lose it.”
Following the race, Verstappen admitted he was surprised to have finished second after enduring what he described as an extremely difficult afternoon.
Windsor felt the four-time world champion almost criticised the RB22 more harshly before catching himself.
“He said, ‘I don’t know how I finished second. The car was… the car was…'”
Windsor laughed as he recalled the moment, believing Verstappen realised he should not be too critical after such an unlikely result. In the end, the analyst reserved praise for both driver and team.
“I thought the whole Red Bull story was brilliant. Absolutely brilliant what they did,” Windsor concluded.
“Max made no mistakes whatsoever. He stayed focused and got the job done.”
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