Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen finished second at the Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday, July 26, 2026, despite driving with a damaged car and persistent handling problems.
The four-time world champion recovered from a difficult qualifying session to climb to third place early in the race.
He held off Lewis Hamilton and championship leader Kimi Antonelli before benefiting from Oscar Piastri's retirement to match his season-best result.
International media praised Verstappen's performance, particularly his overtake on Hamilton. Italian outlet La Gazzetta dello Sport highlighted the execution of his tactical move.
"It is not only because of the beauty of the overtake on Lewis Hamilton: it is precisely because of the beauty of the idea, combined with the execution," the publication reported.
La Gazzetta dello Sport also emphasized his ability to extract maximum performance from the car under pressure.
"In the end he finishes second with the Red Bull and we repeat: only he knows how he does it," the outlet stated.
German newspaper BILD noted Verstappen's swift response after Ferrari briefly gained an advantage through pit strategy.
"1-0 for Ferrari! But only for one lap.
Then Verstappen catches Hamilton with a sensational overtake and reclaims his position," BILD reported.
French sports daily L'Équipe focused on the significance of the result despite Verstappen not winning a race this season.
"There is still no victory for Max Verstappen this season, but his second place on Sunday in Hungary tasted almost like a win," L'Équipe reported.
The publication also credited his tire management for securing his fourth podium finish of the year.
"Thanks to his tire management and a beautiful overtake on Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen managed to achieve his fourth podium of the season," L'Équipe added.
After the race, Verstappen revealed technical issues that complicated his drive, including damage discovered after exiting the car.
"Yes, me too," Verstappen said when asked about difficulties.
He explained that balance problems from qualifying persisted throughout the Grand Prix.
"Yes, the car was very difficult to drive again. I had nothing but oversteer again," Verstappen said.
The Dutch driver described how track conditions exacerbated the handling issues early in the race.
"It also went very badly over the bumps and the kerbstones. Right from the start, something was not right there again," he said.
Upon inspecting the vehicle, Verstappen identified structural damage to the car's bodywork.
"When I got out, there was also a hole in the bodywork. Those kind of things do not help at all," he said.
Reflecting on team execution, Verstappen addressed the overall handling of the race weekend.
"I do not like to pat myself on the back, but we handled everything fairly well," he said.
However, he criticized the timing of Red Bull Racing's pit stop strategy during his battle with Hamilton.
"We were undercut at that first stop," Verstappen said.
He explained that his track position was only recovered due to an immediate overtake on the circuit.
"Because I made that move, you get back into the normal position. Otherwise you are just stuck," he said.
Verstappen noted that the pit strategy created unnecessary difficulties during the early phase of the Grand Prix.
"That was perhaps not ideal," he said.
Despite the setbacks, he managed his pace through the final stint despite personal frustration.
"After that I tried to make the best of it.
I have to say that in 80 percent of the race I was not enjoying myself," Verstappen said.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff expressed frustration after a difficult weekend for his squad, stating, "I am really not happy with that fact!"
as Verstappen successfully defended his podium position following a late Virtual Safety Car restart.
