Last but not least, the race for Hungarian GP she didn’t decide when she was Lewis Hamilton three laps before the end of the race he overtook the leader Max Verstappen, who was stabbed with destroyed tires. No, the deciding moment was the scene in lap 48 when the command post called Lewis to the second stop and put on fresh mid-range tires. The question that was being asked at that moment was just screaming for an answer: Will it be Red Bull reacted and also called Max to the pits? Answer: No, Max was left on the track. The rest is known, the young Dutchman’s preference melted like ice cream on the hot sands of the Sahara. Understandably, the question was rightly asked after the race: Is he here Red Bull made a mistake from a strategic point of view?
Christian horner, team boss Red Bull Racing"We were up front, but I estimate Mercedes had a faster race car that day. It was interesting to see how Hamilton kept up with Max within a second before changing wheels. Then, due to the big difference to the rest of the racers, they were given the opportunity to make a free extra stop.And why Red Bull did not react immediately? Horner explains: "Because Lewis was able to drive significantly faster, already at the end of the second sector he gained such an advantage that Max would return to the track like the others if, of course, he was called to the pits. Our only option was to hope that we would be able to bring the original 19-second advantage to the finish line."
However, Verstappen drove the fastest lap on fresh tires just before the end of the race. Isn’t that perhaps an indication that he would have Max with fresh tires higher speed and could even resist Hamilton? “No. It was a circle where we opened all the valves, allowed to use everything the car can and offers. I repeat, Mercedes had nothing to lose, they were in second place, but they sensed that they had a faster race car. If they failed, they would still be second. And so the risk paid off for them. Well done Mercedes and Hamilton. However, that doesn’t change anything on the fact that Max drove off to a brilliant racing weekend again."
