In a dramatic turn of events, Max Verstappen’s Hungarian Grand Prix victory celebration took an unexpected turn. The reigning world champion’s 1st place trophy was accidentally broken on the podium, but there is good news on the horizon for the Red Bull driver.
As Verstappen began to spray champagne in jubilation, Lando Norris, the McLaren driver, inadvertently knocked the trophy away with the force of his champagne bottle celebration. The collision caused the prized porcelain memento to fall to the floor of the podium, shattering the top.
Sky Sports reporter Slater revealed the unfortunate incident during post-race coverage, lamenting the damage to what he described as “one of the most beautiful trophies of the year”. The trophy is a handmade piece of porcelain and has an estimated value of around 40,000 euros.
“Lando Norris opened his bottle of champagne causing it to fall on the podium and damaging this trophy, which is one of the most beautiful of the year,” Slater told Sky Sports News.
“It’s a piece of handmade porcelain worth around €40,000, but there’s breaking news and it’s good news for Max Verstappen…”
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Good news for Max Verstappen
However, there is a silver lining for Verstappen. The CEO of Herendi, the company responsible for making the trophies, has announced that a replacement trophy will be provided for the Dutch driver. Herendi is known for its exquisite craftsmanship and they have a lifetime replacement guarantee on all their products, including the trophies awarded to Formula 1 winners.
“The CEO of Herendi (the company that makes the trophies) just released this statement…” says Slater,
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A brilliant and bittersweet first F1 victory for @Charles_Leclerc at the Spa ❤️#Belgian GP #F1 pic.twitter.com/FtHSC7Q8QR
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 24, 2023
Despite the setback, Verstappen can now look forward to receiving a new trophy, identical to the one he won at the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix. The incident adds an intriguing footnote to an already exciting race, where Verstappen took a commanding victory, further cementing his championship campaign.
“While they are saddened by the damage, they are recreating the broken trophy for 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix winner Max Verstappen as there is a lifetime replacement guarantee on all their products.”
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