Despite getting new upgrades, Max Verstappen’s long run lap times found to be slower than teammate Sergio Perez

Max Verstappen had an underwhelming outing in the long run at the Hungarian Grand Prix Free Practices on Friday. Despite having upgraded parts in his RB20, the Dutchman fell short of his teammate Sergio Perez's long-run pace.

This week, Formula 1 is in Hungary for the 2024 Hungarian GP. This will be the 13th race of this season and the penultimate race before the summer break. Verstappen won the last two editions of the race under the new regulations, and he would want to keep the streak intact come Sunday.

However, the Dutchman's race pace did not seem as strong as he would have liked. As per @redbulletin on X, Verstappen's pace in the FP2 long run was three-tenths slower than Perez's.

Perez recorded 1:23.938 on the timesheet with 23.321 sector time on medium tires, while Verstappen could manage 1:24.220 and 24.202 sector time on the same tire.

However, the 26-year-old Verstappen seemed more confident on the flying lap. In FP1, Max Verstappen managed to secure P2 with 1:18.989. In comparison, Perez clocked 1:19.440 on the timesheet, managing P11.

Verstappen claimed another P2 in FP2, recording 1:18.031 on the timesheet. Perez, on the other hand, had a better outing this time, as he managed P4 with 1:18.255 on the timesheet.

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What changes did Max Verstappen's RB20 have in Budapest?

Max Verstappen (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)

Red Bull introduced major circuit-specific upgrades to Verstappen's RB20 for the Hungarian Grand Prix this week.

Red Bull modified the halo, rear wing, front wing, bonnet, and front of Max Verstappen's RB20 specifically for the Hungaroring circuit. As per reports, this was done to make the car more efficient, brake-friendly, and bring more speed at the corners.

As part of their upgrade, they dropped one of the RB20's key designs from this season, the huge cooling shoulders. It is believed that it is a specific high-downforce option, primarily made for circuits like this.

Recent data has shown that the RB20 does not ride kerbs too well, as seen in the most recent race at Silverstone. One can expect the current modifications to solve these issues.

Red Bull goes to race on Sunday to defend its lead in the Constructors' Championship. They currently have 373 points, compared to Ferrari (P2) with 302 points, and McLaren (P3) with 295 points.

Max Verstappen leads the Drivers' Championship with 255 points. Lando Norris follows in second with 171 points, and Charles Leclerc sits in third with 150 points.