Crisis at Red Bull Racing intensifies, but there was also a (small) bright spot

The irritation was dripping off Max Verstappen 's face. The media area at the Hungaroring circuit near Budapest was virtually empty, with only the Dutch press left to talk to the number three qualifier for the Hungarian Grand Prix. It was an interview of barely 5.45 minutes; with short answers and a cautionary message from Verstappen to Red Bull Racing. Again.

In a nutshell: Within Red Bull Racing, certain people - he did not want to name names - need to wake up, because things are going in completely the wrong direction. Even a long-certain-looking fourth drivers' championship is now in jeopardy, according to Verstappen: "Yes, I'm working on that, yes," before saying, "Yes, of course, I'm frustrated and I'm not happy with how things are going. Of course, I also know that it could be another 12 long races."

Everyone knows Max Verstappen is a perfectionist. Max is never completely satisfied. And yes, in recent weeks he had been regularly stating that working updates needed to be introduced, although he did continue to win his Grands Prix. With the comprehensive update package introduced in Hungary this weekend, Red Bull had hopes - even expectations - that McLaren' s advance could be parried and Verstappen could go into the races with a better car.

Helmut Marko, Red Bull's external advisor, was still saying on Friday that everything was working as anticipated and that his team had the fastest car on the grid again. Well, not so. Verstappen could not get close to Lando Norris in qualifying and, moreover, this time Oscar Piastri. "I said yesterday that it was not optimal," explained Verstappen, who was more frustrated than at previous times this season. " Because I did hope it would have delivered a bit more," he says, and that does not bode well for the race. "Well, I think they looked very strong on the long run as well. Of course, they have been the last few races. I don't suddenly see us being stronger there either."

Increasingly disastrously, Red Bull's season is starting to unfold; McLaren pose an increasingly serious threat to Verstappen (and seem to be the team to beat in Hungary), the RB20 isn't getting any better and oh yes, then there's that worrying child in the other seat. Right on a weekend when Sergio Perez cannot afford another misfire, he crashed his car in turn eight of Q1. Only after a prolonged period of self-reflection did the troubled Mexican reach the media.

It became a conversation full of self-blame and responsibility; about how he lost the car, about how he had let his team down, about the pain it caused him. Anyone watching Perez saw a man who seems to be slowly reaching the end of his rope. Fun - always the most important thing in your job - he doesn't seem to have any more. "I wouldn't say fun, I would say a challenge," he responded when asked by GPblog whether he still enjoyed F1?

"Mentally it's really tough and the easiest way will be just to give up after the career I've had, just to say it's been enough, but it's not what I want to teach my kids. It's not the character I want to show." Yet his body language said something quite different.

On the track, all may not want to work out, but there was also something positive to report on Saturday in Hungary. Namely, Helmut Marko changed his contract with Red Bull, eliminating the so-called Verstappen clause (Helmut gone, then Max gone too). In other words: Verstappen can in principle switch to another team less easily. On the other hand, it is and remains Formula 1. If Verstappen wants to leave, he will leave. And how good Red Bull's car is will undoubtedly play a part in that choice. At the moment, the answer to that question is pretty clear.