Shanna is a Formula 1 journalist at GPblog, specializing in both F1 and endurance and GT racing. With a Master’s degree in Journalism and experience at international circuits, she provides in-depth, reliable coverage and insights based on her presence at Grands Prix and racing events worldwide.
Juan Pablo Montoya believes Max Verstappen has to be at his very best to put the RB22 in contention in Qualifying. His F1TV colleague, however, believes there may be a tactic behind the way Red Bull Racing and the Dutchman are currently operating.
Verstappen described Friday as a difficult start to the weekend, with the car's balance not yet where he wanted it to be. Nevertheless, Red Bull Racing's long-run pace looked promising, especially compared to Mercedes and McLaren.
Meanwhile, the Woking-based team was the quickest in FP3, with Lando Norris setting the best time ahead of Qualifying earlier today.
For Montoya, it was clear that Red Bull struggled in FP3. He watched the cars in Turn 12 and noticed a few things under braking.
“With the Red Bull, the front wants to follow like the Ferrari but the rear can't keep up so it seems a bit of a handful," the Colombian said on F1TV.
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“Hadjar seems to be timing it a little better, he's being a little more conservative. Max is pushing like crazy so it's been really interesting, and the gaps are so close and you can tell how hard everybody's pushing. It’s going make qualifying so good to see. So let's see what happens now and we'll see who can really bring it on in qualifying,” Montoya added.
The former F1 driver also praised the Ferrari: "It looks really solid. It’s really interesting, Ferrari has probably the best balance"
Juan Pablo Montoya saw the drivers struggle with the RB22 - Photo: Red Bull Content Pool
Hinchliffe agrees, but says 'never count out Verstappen'
Former IndyCar star James Hinchcliffe agreed with Montoya.“It is hard to say, but look, this is not necessarily a track that suits them because of the bumps. I mean, with this generation of car, they were hoping some of that weakness in bumps and kerb riding would be taken care of. Pierre Wache said that's really not the case. It sort of followed them over," the Canadian continued.
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“The aero map on this car is pretty peaky, meaning they have to run it a little bit more stiff to kind of keep it in the right aero window. You've got a bumpy racetrack. Drivers have been complaining about that.
"You never count out Max Verstappen, certainly, but as we've gone through now three free practices, I'm thinking less and less that they're going to be able to fight for pole position."
Photo: Red Bull Content Pool
Former strategist sees a pattern: 'This is a tactical decision'
Former strategist Ruth Buscombe disagreed with both former drivers and believes Red Bull has focused on the race rather than qualifying. “I think it's tactics, I think they've looked at it and said our best case is P5 in qualifying. So Max you do your thing you only have to go over the bump in qualifying don't even have to go near it in the race," she said.
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“We're just going to give you a car that's stiff anyway, give you a tough time on the Saturday, I bet it was probably from Max himself. And then on Sunday, maybe we've got the best car for degradation across a stint. Maybe we're the only team that makes a race work. You have to be bold here. Not stupid, but bold works very well at Hungary."
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Hungarian Grand Prix
Overview
Friday 24.07.26
Practice 1
11:30 AM
Practice 2
03:00 PM
Saturday 25.07.26
Practice 3
10:30 AM
Qualification
02:00 PM
Sunday 26.07.26
Race
01:00 PM
Friday 24.07.26
Practice 1
Fri 11:30 AM
Practice 2
Fri 03:00 PM
Saturday 25.07.26
Practice 3
Sat 10:30 AM
Qualification
Sat 02:00 PM
Sunday 26.07.26
Race
Sun 01:00 PM
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F1-stand 2026
Season
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | MercedesMER | 204 | |
2 | FerrariFER | 159 | |
3 | MercedesMER | 154 | |
4 | FerrariFER | 126 | |
5 | McLarenMCL | 103 | |
6 | McLarenMCL | 92 | |
7 | Red Bull RacingRBR | 91 | |
8 | Red Bull RacingRBR | 60 | |
9 | AlpineALP | 42 | |
10 | Racing BullsRCB | 39 |
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