Red Bull restricts Verstappen's media access amid car criticism.

      Red Bull significantly limited Max Verstappen’s interactions with the media following qualifying in Hungary, as the Dutch driver reiterated his strong criticism of the erratic 2026 car. Verstappen labeled the car as "aerodynamically broken" over the radio after qualifying in P6.

      "We’re experiencing car degradation instead of tyre degradation," he stated afterwards. "If there's a balance issue, that’s one matter, but if it shifts from lap to lap, it becomes very challenging." The four-time world champion expressed that the car was becoming nearly impossible to rely on. "We need to resolve this before the race, as the car is undriveable, as demonstrated in the last corner."

      "I turned in, and it felt as if the back of the car didn’t even exist," Verstappen remarked. "It’s truly unbelievable." He noted they've encountered several issues, but it seems like each time there's a different problem, making it harder to manage.

      Typically, Verstappen speaks to Dutch journalists for over five minutes after qualifying, but his session was cut short by his Red Bull handler after just two minutes. His appearance with international media lasted around 90 seconds. Red Bull claimed the shortened sessions were due to a scheduled team meeting, even though his teammate Isack Hadjar continued to engage with reporters for a significant period, despite being required at the same meeting.

      This intervention is noteworthy as uncertainty continues regarding Verstappen’s future. Ralf Schumacher remarked that Verstappen’s aggressive driving style might be a factor in the ongoing incidents. "To be honest, especially since Max always pushes the limits, it could also be his responsibility," said the Sky Deutschland analyst. "Perhaps his driving style demands too much from the car. With Hadjar, it seems to happen less often."

      "It consistently occurs with Max. Maybe he simply needs to accept that the car lacks the downforce it had last year. Perhaps that’s all there is to it."

      Beyond the current car difficulties, Verstappen confirmed he played a role in convincing Tom Hart to stay at Red Bull to eventually take over from Gianpiero Lambiase as his race engineer. "I sensed from Tom that he genuinely wanted to remain, but in a different capacity," Verstappen shared with Viaplay. "Around Miami, we began discussing ideas—what if we pursue this or that direction? I noticed he was enthusiastic about it."

      "Now we just need to determine the right moment to further involve Tom." Hart was initially set to join Williams as Alex Albon’s race engineer.

      "I think Tom is a great guy and an excellent engineer," Albon confirmed, "but we definitely have other options as well." "Tom was certainly a name that came to mind, as it would have been great if he could come aboard. However, in the end, it didn’t materialize."