Max Verstappen brushes off suggestions that Red Bull is sandbagging in races

Max Verstappen has turned down suggestions that Red Bull were hiding the full potential of their package at the 2023 Hungarian GP.

Speaking to media including Sportskeeda, the Dutchman claimed that entire race was about pace management and complained about his car's battery issues. Asked if Red Bull had more hidden potential with their current package, Verstappen said:

“It’s the peak of the tyres, it’s draining the battery to really do the best lap you can. And if you keep that pace you really just degrade the tyres, that’s how everyone, I mean, the whole race, you are just pace managing.

“You [see] any driver, they [are] all driving like that cause if you keep doing or try to achieve a lap like that, you get [a] pit within five laps again from your tyres.”

Asked if he could have won by a larger margin in Hungary, the Dutchman said:

“Could have won by more, could have won by less. It’s strategy-related tyre-related. I think how we did it worked really well.”

Max Verstappen eventually won by a margin of 33 seconds over Lando Norris, the biggest margin by which he has won this season. Verstappen's teammate Sergio Perez finished third.

With Red Bull upgrading their package before the Hungarian GP, some believe they have been displaying their car’s full potential, while others remain dodubtful.

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Max Verstappen is unbothered by the weather forecast for the Belgian GP weekend

Max Verstappen feels the risks of driving in the wet weather at the Belgian GP are not track-related. Plenty of rain has been predicted on the weekend of the race.

The Red Bull driver indicated that the drivers and the race directors will make the right decision with respect to whether the conditions are suitable for driving or not.

“Well, I don't think it is track-related. I mean, you have dangerous corners and yes, in the wet there is more risk. I think everyone is confident enough to make the right call. So if you can drive you can drive and if it’s too wet it’s too wet,” Max Verstappen said when asked about the tricky weather forecast ahead of the Belgian GP.

With a rainy forecast for the majority of the weekend, many drivers are concerned about the safety of driving at the iconic circuit. Similar conditions notably claimed the life of F4 driver Dilano van ’t Hoff earlier this month, who passed away after a collision in the famed Eau Rouge corner.

There have been various suggestions to tweak the Spa Francorchamps circuit to avoid fatal incidents in the future. However, the track is expected to remain the same for this year's Belgian GP.