F1 champion Max Verstappen set for Red Bull change at Hungarian Grand Prix

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Max Verstappen set for Red Bull change at Hungarian Grand Prix

The Dutchman heads to Budapest with his drivers' title ambitions hanging by a thread

Kevin McKenna

Thursday 31 July 2025 19:57

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Defending F1 world champion Max Verstappen is preparing for a big change at this weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix.

The Dutchman heads to Budapest off the back of another disappointing Sunday at the Belgian GP last time out, where he finished outside of the podium positions for the seventh time this season - just one day after winning the Sprint Race.

That result came in spite of the team debuting a package of upgrades which included a different front suspension arm mount, as well as a design alteration to increase airflow and aid cooling.

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But Red Bull executive Helmut Marko is adamant the team are moving in the right direction, and has promised that more updates will be unveiled at the Hungaroring as they look to close the gap to their rivals.

"Max said that the upgrades brought to Spa were a step forward, but they didn't fix the balance problems he had and I think he's right," he said, as reported by Motorsport Italy.

"Fixing the balance seems like a complex exercise, but we're not giving up; we're still working. We'll bring something new to Budapest, too."

Helmut Marko hopes to see big improvements with new updates in Budapest

Verstappen needs big result in Budapest

Verstappen's chances of sealing a fifth consecutive drivers' title are dwindling with each passing race, with the 27-year-old now 81 points off the pace of championship leader Oscar Piastri.

Verstappen's team, meanwhile, are already out of the constructors' championship race with around half of the campaign still remaining, with McLaren - barring a monumental collapse in performance - set to finish on top for the second time in as many years.

Regardless of how the rest of the season plays out, it remains to be seen whether Verstappen's long-term future is with the Milton Keynes-based outfit.

He has been consistently linked with a move away, with Mercedes strong favourites to secure his signature should he opt to seek a new challenge elsewhere.

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