Motor racing: Red Bull play 'joker' to adjust cars ahead of Hungarian Grand Prix

Red Bull's Dutch driver Max Verstappen steers his car in Mogyorod, Hungary, on July 18, 2020. PHOTO: AFP

BUDAPEST (AFP) - Red Bull used its first technical "joker" of the season overnight on Friday (July 17) to make set-up changes to their Formula One cars ahead of qualifying for this weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix.

The team broke a technical curfew, which bans them from working within the confines of the circuit for an eight-hour period, to tweak Max Verstappen and Alexander Albon's cars in a bid to improve their speed and performance at the Hungaroring, which will host the GP on Sunday.

Teams are allowed to break the curfew twice a season.

Thai driver Albon said the team had been set back by the poor weather at the track.

"We are trying to understand the car at a new circuit after two weeks at the Red Bull Ring and then, with the downpour, we couldn't really do anything in second practice," said Albon.

The team had a challenging time in Friday's practice with Verstappen eighth in the dry session in the morning, five places ahead of Albon.

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