Verstappen Rebuked by Engineer for Blaming Strategy After Hamilton Collision

Max Verstappen's frustration boiled over at the Hungarian Grand Prix, leading to a public rebuke from his own engineer. The reigning world champion blamed Red Bull's strategy for his disappointing fifth-place finish, but his engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, swiftly dismissed his complaints as "childish."

Verstappen's outburst came after a collision with Lewis Hamilton on lap 63 of the 70-lap race. The Dutchman attempted to overtake Hamilton at Turn One but locked up his brakes and crashed into the Mercedes driver. Verstappen immediately took to the team radio to vent his frustrations, accusing Hamilton of moving in his "braking zone."

Lambiase, known for his calm demeanor, responded with uncharacteristic firmness. "I am not even going to get into a radio fight with the other teams, Max," he said. "We'll let the stewards do their thing. It's childish on the radio, childish."

Verstappen defended his behavior, claiming that it was acceptable to be vocal on the radio. However, his outburst raised questions about his ability to handle pressure as McLaren, Mercedes, and Ferrari close the gap on Red Bull.

The incident was the latest in a series of controversies involving Verstappen. In recent races, he has been involved in collisions with Sergio Perez and Charles Leclerc, leading to accusations of reckless driving.

Hamilton, who finished third in Hungary, downplayed the incident with Verstappen. "I think he was much quicker," Hamilton said. "I moved a little to defend and I left enough space on the inside, but he locked up and then obviously couldn't turn."

Verstappen's advantage in the drivers' championship has been trimmed to 76 points by Lando Norris. Red Bull team boss Christian Horner has expressed concern about the team's recent performance, particularly Perez's struggles in qualifying.

Tags: #Formula1, #HungarianGP, #MaxVerstappen, #LewisHamilton, #RedBull