Max Verstappen made a joke at Lewis Hamilton’s expense after his comfortable victory at the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Hamilton stunned the reigning Formula 1 world champion after he ripped pole position away from the Dutchman’s grasp by just three-thousandths of a second.
However, the Red Bull star managed to take the lead going into the first corner and raced away to a more than comfortable victory at the Hungaroring, seeing the chequered flag more than half a minute before the others.
The victory in Budapest was Verstappen’s seventh win in a row and the 44th of his career.
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After the race, Verstappen joked it would be terrible to be stuck on 44, which is the same figure as Hamilton’s car number.
He said: “Hopefully I don't stay on 44 for too long. That would be terrible I need to get to 45 quickly.”
Red Bull have now won all of the races so far in the 2023 season and have set a new record after winning 12 races in a row.
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Verstappen said: “Twelve wins in a row is just incredible.
“What we've been doing for the last two years has been unbelievable. Hopefully we can keep this momentum going for a long time. We always want to do better but days like this are just perfect.”
Whilst Red Bull team principal and CEO Christian Horner added: “As a young kid I remember watching Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna under the incredible leadership of Ron Dennis achieve that feat (11 wins in a row) and to think we have bettered that is something all the team in Budapest and back in Milton Keynes have worked so hard for and means so much.
“Max is a driver totally at one with himself in the car and with total confidence and trust in the team. We are witnessing a sportsman at the top of his game and he is a joy to work with.”
He continued: “Max is a modest guy and he is uncomfortable with the plaudits he is given, but he deserves all the credit he is getting at the moment.”
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F1 will return this weekend with the Belgian Grand Prix, which will take place at the Circuit of Spa-Francorchamps.
Featured Image Credit: Sky Sports/GettyTopics: Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton, Formula 1, Red Bull Racing
