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Red Bull Surprised Ferrari With Daring Strategy in Hungary
Max Verstappen secured second place in Budapest thanks to an unconventional tyre choice that completely caught the competition off guard.
By Patrick Koster - 2026-07-28T11:30:41.000Z - 2 min read
The Hungarian Grand Prix earned Max Verstappen an unexpected second place, particularly remarkable given that the race weekend was far from smooth for Red Bull. However, the team placed the Dutchman on a strategic path that completely surprised the competition—especially Ferrari—and ultimately proved crucial to the final result.
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur openly admitted afterwards that his team was caught entirely off guard by Red Bull's bold approach. The strategy revolved around an exceptionally long stint on the soft tyres, considered an unconventional and spicy choice in Formula 1.
Verstappen managed to stretch that set of softs over a remarkable 29 laps, a duration few teams or drivers would have anticipated beforehand for the softest compound. It was this decision that threw rivals' tactical plans into disarray and enabled Red Bull to fight for valuable points.
Laurent Mekies of Red Bull Racing expressed immense satisfaction with his team's strategy department. He praised the bravery required to make such a daring call, which ultimately paid off by propelling Verstappen onto the podium at the Hungaroring.
Verstappen's ability to run for so long on the soft tyres, combined with his driving skills, forced the rest of the field to rethink their own race plans. Ferrari implicitly indicated they had not counted on this tactic, which potentially impacted their own track position.
Despite an initially difficult start to the weekend for Verstappen, the team managed to turn the tide with this clever move. It highlights Red Bull's flexibility and insight to make surprising calls under pressure that can make all the difference in a competitive Formula 1 field.
This strategic masterstroke ensured that a potentially troublesome weekend still yielded a strong points finish, once again proving Red Bull as a team unafraid to venture off the beaten track to achieve the maximum result.