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Dutch press: Red Bull lived in a world where it was never their car's fault

Dutch press: "Red Bull lived in a world where it was never their car's fault"

20-07-2020 08:06 Last update: 08:41

The Hungarian Grand Prix should have shown some sort of progression with the Red Bull Racing car, but instead, Max Verstappen and Alex Albon seemed to struggle. It looks as if they've got a fast car hidden somewhere, but they've just got to develop and align different parts to unlock the potential. The Dutch newspapers are hard on the team, although they're also praised for the way they recovered.

De Telegraaf: Podium spot disguises Red Bull Racing problems

“The title aspirations of Red Bull Racing are already in the fridge after three Grands Prix. The surprising second place of Max Verstappen in Hungary does not change that. On a track that Red Bull should score, the RB16 was more like a kit. Seems as if the engineers had received a manual in Chinese."

De Telegraaf is then hard on the team. The newspaper cites that in earlier seasons external factors such as the Renault engine were often blamed, but that this is by no means the only problem with the improved Honda. "Red Bull lived in a world where problems never seemed to be the car." And designer Adrian Newey also has to pay for it. "The master has been surpassed."

Algemeen Dagblad: From drama to the top in 12 minutes

The positive headline of the AD doesn't disguise the unpleasant taste leftover from the Grand Prix of Hungary. Here, too, it is about the "problem car", where the ease with which Lewis Hamilton drove away at Verstappen leads to concerns. Verstappen himself was masterly.

“Lewis Hamilton was again far out of reach at the Hungaroring. The British Mercedes world champion even had the luxury in the final phase to go in again and set the fastest lap time on soft tires and score an extra World Championship point."

Volkskrant: Mechanics save Verstappen's season with tinkering of the highest level

De Volkskrant considers Verstappen not quite without a chance for the world title thanks to this second place. Although he is 30 points behind after three races, that is not impossible. The newspaper cites the previous season when Verstappen was 31 points behind after three races and was also close in the middle of the season.

NRC (Wilfried de Jong): Panic about Autoteckniek

The NRC deals with the Grand Prix on Monday morning with a column by Wilfried de Jong. Max Verstappen's race was to be the highlight of his weekend when the young Dutchman was already in the tyre wall before it had even started.

"A Grand Prix without Max is [like a chocolate cake without chocolate], De Jong describes it nicely. According to him, the next 20 minutes were the most exciting moment of the weekend. Verstappen drove a good race, but the excitement of whether the Red Bull Racing mechanics could repair his car in time was not surpassed.