Max Verstappen’s RB20 admission uncovered in private Daniel Ricciardo conversation

Max Verstappen was overheard criticising the upgraded Red Bull RB20 in a Hungary Drivers’ Parade chat with Daniel Ricciardo, dropping the bombshell that Red Bull “overdid it” with this package, in his opinion.

Without a victory since the Spanish Grand Prix, Red Bull looked to turn the tide against the improving McLaren and Mercedes with a significant upgrade package for their RB20 at the Hungarian Grand Prix. The results though were not to Verstappen’s liking.

Max Verstappen tells Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull ‘overdid it’

McLaren would dominate the Hungarian Grand Prix, Lando Norris taking pole from team-mate Oscar Piastri, before Piastri headed a McLaren one-two in the race. While Verstappen was very much in the pole hunt, McLaren were in control on race day, Verstappen ultimately finishing P5 after tangling with Lewis Hamilton at Turn 1 as they battled for the last podium place.

And during the Drivers’ Parade ahead of that race, a camera picked up Verstappen talking to Ricciardo – one-half of the driver line-up at Red Bull’s junior team VCARB – where he told Ricciardo that the upgrade may have improved the RB20 in corners, but its issues are far from fixed.

“Corners, it might be better, but the characteristic of the car is still the same,” Verstappen told Ricciardo.

“So it’s slow on entry with the rear and in the mid-corner, understeer.”

And in what could be a crucial reveal for the rest of Verstappen’s and Red Bull’s season, the Dutchman expressed his belief to Ricciardo that “we overdid it” with this RB20 upgrade.

“I think we overdid it,” Verstappen claimed, “it’s so on the rear and I don’t know sometimes how to compensate for that.”

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Verstappen also had some public criticism of the RB20 upgrades to offer, claiming some members of the Red Bull team needed to “wake up” regarding their situation.

Red Bull senior advisor Helmut Marko had declared “the upgrades work”, though Verstappen made it clear that he was naming no names.

“The McLarens are one and two, so that car just goes like a bullet,” said Verstappen, after qualifying, as per Racingnews365.

“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.

“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.

“At least they know that I don’t make excuses, I’m always very realistic about that. But maybe not everyone is on the same wavelength.

“That doesn’t frustrate me, but I do think that some people need to wake up a little. We don’t have to go into detail about who they are.”

While Verstappen’s Drivers’ Championship lead over Norris was cut slightly to 76 points, McLaren slashed Red Bull’s Constructors’ Championship buffer to 51 points.

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