Verstappen fires Red Bull 'wake up' warning

Max Verstappen has delivered a clear directive to Red Bull, suggesting not everyone is on the same "wavelength" within the team.

The 26-year-old wants certain people within the Milton Keynes squad to "wake up a little bit" but stopped short of offering up who those individuals might be.

Having qualified third on the grid for the Hungarian Grand Prix, Verstappen cut a frustrated figure. He will have to fight against the McLarens of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, who locked-out the front row.

Red Bull began the 2024 season in similar fashion to the way it ended the previous year, but a raft of upgrades from McLaren, Mercedes and Ferrari has seen the team struggle to remain the dominant force in F1.

That has left Verstappen concerned that the gravity of Red Bull's current situation is not adequately appreciated.

"Not everyone," he told select Dutch media including RacingNews365 when asked if everyone within the team has grasped the reality of the situation. 

"At least with me they know that I don't make excuses, I'm always very real about that. But maybe not everyone is on the same wavelength. 

"That doesn't frustrate me, but I do think some people need to wake up a little bit. We don't need to go into details about who those are."

Red Bull upgrades 'still not good enough'

As well as being upset with an underwhelming qualifying session, the Dutchman took aim at the constructors' champion's Budapest upgrade package, which he feels does not quite reach the required level.

Verstappen believes the updates introduced at the Hungaroring are "still not good enough" to re-establish the early-season competitive balance in F1.

Mercedes has brought piece-meal developments to the W15 over recent rounds, seeing the team take consecutive victories at the Red Bull Ring and Silverstone.

Meanwhile, McLaren has continued to add to its major Miami upgrade, which vaulted the team into racing-winning contention. It will be hoping to add a second grand prix victory of the season in Hungary.

"The McLarens are one and two, so that car just goes like a bullet," Verstappen contended, before directing his ire to his own team.

"With us it's just very difficult, because it's just really hard to find a good balance. It's very easy to go over and then you immediately lose quite a lot of time.

"With all those upgrades, it's still not good enough. I do feel frustrated about that." 

"Because I had hoped it would have brought a bit more. Everything is working, but not the steps we want to make, I think... I said on Friday that it wasn't optimal."