Verstappen flags major factor that could decide Red Bull's Hungary GP hopes

The four-time world champion arrives at the final race before Formula 1's summer break in optimistic spirits after returning to the podium with a third-place finish at the Belgian Grand Prix. In his preview of the weekend, Verstappen reflected on reaching his 130th podium with Red Bull before stressing the importance of ending the first half of the season on a high.

However, the Dutchman emphasised that Red Bull must get the car's set-up right from the outset, noting that a strong start to the weekend often proves decisive around the Hungaroring. Verstappen also expressed his excitement about returning to Hungary, where he expects the team to receive its usual strong backing from the fans.

Spa was a positive race for us: everything was quite straightforward all weekend, and it was nice to achieve 130 podiums with the team,” Verstappen explained. “For Hungary, it is the last race before the summer break, so it is the final push. It is a totally different track and different layout compared to Spa, and we will need to see how everything comes together and make sure we get everything right with the set-up of the car.

"It makes a big difference to how you start the weekend, and hopefully we hit the ground running so we can be as competitive as possible. It is exciting to see how we will perform there. We always get great support from the fans in Hungary, so we are looking forward to being back,” he concluded.

Last year at the Hungarian Grand Prix, Verstappen had a race weekend to forget, with the Dutch driver lacking pace all weekend. Verstappen qualified for the Grand Prix in eighth place and took the chequered flag in ninth, over a minute off race winner Lando Norris.

Verstappen's more upbeat outlook comes after he left Spa-Francorchamps with a much more positive assessment of both his own performance and Red Bull's overall competitiveness.

The Dutchman had been vocal about his frustrations with the current Formula 1 regulations, particularly regarding the energy management demands of the new generation of cars. Verstappen had warned that the characteristics of the machinery could make racing at Spa less exciting compared to previous eras.

However, following the Grand Prix, where he finished third behind Kimi Antonelli and Charles Leclerc, Verstappen’s outlook appeared to have shifted slightly, especially regarding Red Bull’s performance throughout the weekend.