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Helmut Marko has described Max Verstappen's double overtake on Lewis Hamilton in Hungary as one of the standout moments of the 2026 season, despite the four-time world champion still searching for his first win of the campaign. The former Red Bull adviser, who maintains a close relationship with Verstappen, remains publicly supportive even as frustration mounts around the team's winless start under the new battery-heavy regulations.
Verstappen outbraked Hamilton twice at the notoriously narrow Hungaroring during the first lap of Sunday's race, a move Marko singled out in an interview with Swiss outlet Blick as proof the Dutchman's edge remains intact. "The way Max outbraked Lewis Hamilton twice on this tight circuit is, so far, one of the highlights of 2026," Marko said. For a driver who has grown accustomed to controlling races from the front, the Hungary performance offered a rare glimpse of the raw racecraft that defined his title-winning years.
Red Bull's winless drought continues
The Hungarian Grand Prix marked the final round before the sport's summer break, and Red Bull heads into the shutdown still without a victory. Verstappen's championship challenge has been hampered by the new power unit regulations, which place far greater emphasis on battery management and leave drivers unable to push flat-out across a lap. High-speed circuits such as Silverstone and Spa-Francorchamps have exposed the limitations most sharply, with significant power deficits compared to rivals. Verstappen has not hidden his dissatisfaction with the direction of the regulations, even as the FIA has signalled future adjustments.
Marko defends the spectacle
Despite the technical complaints, Marko offered a bullish assessment of the season's entertainment value. "The enthusiasm of the public fascinates me," he told Blick. "The races are usually exciting. As was the case now in Hungary, where it used to be a kind of procession with few overtakes." His comments reflect a tension within the sport: while drivers and engineers criticise the constraints imposed by the new regulations, some within the paddock argue the tighter margins have produced closer racing.
Whether that view holds as teams converge on performance remains unclear. Red Bull's struggle to adapt has shuffled the competitive order, and Verstappen's ability to extract performances like Hungary may prove decisive if the team can unlock gains over the second half of the year.
Zandvoort awaits after the break
The F1 calendar resumes in late August with the final edition of the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort. Verstappen will return to his home event without a win to his name this season, an unfamiliar position for a driver who has dominated the circuit since its return to the calendar. Marko's praise may be genuine, but the pressure on both driver and team to convert flashes of brilliance into sustained competitiveness will only grow after the shutdown.
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