Max Verstappen will reportedly soon have his Hungarian Grand Prix winner's trophy back as the replacement will be finished being made by the end of the month of September, as revealed by the CEO.
Lando Norris had a happy moment after finishing P2 in Hungary and celebrated in his signature way (popping the champagne on the podium). What he did not realize was the fact that Max Verstappen's winning trophy was kept at the same spot; it thus fell and broke. The special trophy was made from porcelain and it shattered upon falling.
Dr Simon Attila, CEO of Herend Porcelánmanufaktúra Zrt., revealed that the trophy will be ready soon. Formula.hu quoted him as saying:
"Everyone is always welcome to visit the Manufactory's Visitor Centre to learn about the extremely high level of craftsmanship in hand-painting and porcelain-making, and the process of creating value in Herend."
The hand-made trophy takes months to complete, apparently, and that is why it will take time to be prepared and finalized. The cost of the trophy is at a staggering $44,500. Attila added that anyone, including Lando Norris, is welcome at the factory.
Will Max Verstappen's performance be limited with a DRS ban in qualifying?
Red Bull has been at the top of the table since the start of the season, and although it was Sergio Perez who had the upper hand initially, Max Verstappen was able to take the lead at the top quite easily later.
The Dutchman has won eight consecutive races, including the Belgian Grand Prix, and is nearing the F1 world record for most consecutive races won (nine, Sebastian Vettel). However, there have been reports of a new rule, banning the use of DRS during qualifying sessions. This would mean that the team with the most effective rear wing would suffer the most, which is, Red Bull.
Although this will limit their performance during qualifying and Max Verstappen might not be on pole during all of the races, there is a good chance that he might continue to dominate if other teams fail to upgrade effectively. He started the Belgian GP on P6 but was easily able to win the race. Similar to this, he won the race from P14 last season.
While it is quite apparent that the DRS ban in qualifying will limit the team, Verstappen is still expected to win with this dominance.