$200 million worth Max Verstappen’s generous gesture to his team steals the show at Hungarian GP weekend

Two-time world champions’ dinner tradition continues, as Verstappen treats his pit crew ahead of the Hungarian GP.

Max Verstappen and his Red Bull crew (Credits: news.cgtn.com)

Max Verstappen, the force behind Red Bull Racing’s world championship points, attributes his success not only to his skill but also to the exceptional work of the team in his garage. Recognizing their vital contribution, Verstappen expresses his deep gratitude by organizing a special dinner in Hungary. He hosted it for the mechanics and engineers who meticulously tinker with his RB19.

According to De Telegraaf’s report ahead of this weekend’s first free practice sessions, Max Verstappen has already initiated this tradition, having treated around 30 employees to dinner last year, which was a resounding success. The two-time world champion is eager to carry on this meaningful gesture. Once again, renting a venue in the beautiful capital of Budapest for a wholesome treat.

The relationship between Red Bull and Max Verstappen goes beyond the track. While the team undoubtedly benefits from Verstappen’s remarkable talent and achievements. He, in turn, plays a big role in elevating Red Bull and its dedicated staff to new heights. The camaraderie within the Austrian racing stable is unmistakable, and it’s not solely attributed to Verstappen’s impressive record of eight victories in ten races this year.

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Also read: Red Bull admits that cost cap pressure hampers the team’s upgrade efforts

Red Bull’s catering miscalculation haunts amidst Max Verstappen’s generous crew treat

Max Verstappen and his Red Bull crew (Image credit: Motorsport.com)

It is impossible not to mention Red Bull’s catering miscalculation when discussing Max Verstappen’s generous treat to his crew. Not too long ago, Red Bull had been slapped with a $7 million fine and docked 10% of its aerodynamic testing time for this season for breaching the cost cap. Catering was among the few aspects where Milton-Keynes overspent in the 2021 season.

The team quickly stated compliance with the budget cap, refuting overspending. They pledged a thorough inspection of FIA’s findings. They blamed catering costs, not car R&D, for the overspending perception. Providing daily free lunches for thousands of employees at their Milton Keynes HQ impacted their budget. Possibly causing the alleged overspending, despite its irrelevance to car development.

? | Max Verstappen has treated his garage (~30 people) to dinner in Budapest! ??

In 2022, he treated his engineers and mechanics to dinner after the technical issues in qualifying which ended up in him having to start P10.

This was highly appreciated by the team, and thus he… pic.twitter.com/c9kZunGVXm
— RBR Daily (@RBR_Daily) July 21, 2023

So far into the 2023 season, however, the repercussions of the penalty have not seemed to impact Red Bull. They have exuded dominance from the very first race in Bahrain. Winning all ten races so far, Red Bull sits tight, leading the constructors’ championship by 208 points. Max Verstappen occupies the P1 position in the drivers’ championship, whereas his teammate Sergio Perez trails by 99 points.