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Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton has made it clear that he really believes we can fight for the 2026 title and feels more focused than ever, with the Briton looking to continue his competitive second campaign at the team in Hungary this weekend. After a difficult start to life in red last year, Hamilton is enjoying a new lease of life with the Scuderia Ferrari, having made several changes behind the scenes over the winter and gelled with F1’s new generation of cars. Indeed, following his podium-less 2025, the seven-time World Champion has five rostrums from the opening 10 rounds this season, including his first Grand Prix win for Ferrari at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya last month. Arriving at the Hungarian Grand Prix, which marks the final round before the sport’s annual summer break, Hamilton sits second in the Drivers’ Championship standings on 159 points, 45 behind Mercedes rival Kimi Antonelli. Asked about his chances of winning around the Hungaroring, where he has claimed pole position a record nine times and victory a record eight times, Hamilton said:
"I don’t want to make assumptions. We went to a couple of races… I mean we ultimately should have won the last two races, I think, if we perfected the weekend. In Silverstone, the car was capable of winning, and then in Spa, we were a lot more competitive than we thought, so I think I missed something on that weekend. That’s something I don’t want to do this weekend. I think we’ve got a car that can compete. Mercedes is still the car to beat, and they won’t be easy to beat this weekend, but I do think we’ve made subtle progress. Hopefully we can be fighting with them this weekend".
Pushed on how good it feels to be in the mix for the title, Hamilton added: “It’s amazing. It’s a great feeling. Especially if you look at the contrast of where we were last year here.
"For one, I’m really proud of the team, of the step we’ve taken collectively, and then I have to always acknowledge my own efforts, the work that I’ve put in and the changes that I’ve made to enable us to be where we are. I’m really proud of myself for that. Still a lot of work to do, still a mountain to climb in the second half of the season, but I’m more focused than ever and really believe that we can fight".
On the other side of the Ferrari garage, Charles Leclerc is looking to continue his own positive trajectory at recent events, after victory in Britain and a P2 finish in Belgium, with memories of his pole in Budapest last year also fresh in the memory.
"The last few races we’ve been performing well. I think we’ve done a good job in maximising our package, and that meant in the last two races we were in contention for the win with a little bit of luck and VSC at the right time - but we were still there and more competitive than what we thought. Having said that, I think we need to really be careful because with these cars, the smallest detail that you don’t do right can swing massively the performance, and it can end up as a disastrous weekend when you expect a very good weekend, and the opposite as well is true. So, our goal is to really focus on the preparation, not really thinking about what are the expectations around us, because surely the expectations are quite a lot for a weekend like this on a track like that. We are just focusing on the preparation and we’ll see how it goes".
Relationships between Formula 1 drivers and their fathers can be complicated. Sometimes the latter prefer to adopt a tough love approach that can raise a few eyebrows. Kimi Antonelli and his father Marco could be the poster boys for the opposite approach, such is the apparent closeness of their relationship from the outside. And yet, as the Mercedes driver revealed on media day in Hungary, his father is also his biggest critic - and isn’t afraid to say what he thinks. In this case the context was Antonelli’s predilection for making full use of track limits, something he has on occasion been penalised for. In the Belgian Grand Prix he was pinged a couple of times, and warned by engineer Pete Bonnington not to take any further risks that might jeopardise his lead. After the race Antonelli Sr. made sure that his son took that warning fully on board.
"I guess you guys know I like to use the track sometimes a bit too much. So it's something that I'm trying to work on. I mean, I look back at Spa and the two track limits I did were very stupid. I was like: What the heck am I doing? It's a bit like Barcelona as well, and Miami. I just feel that it's something I need to work on for sure, because at some point in a race I might need to use them. But if I use them when I don't need to, then I might find myself in trouble. So for sure, it's something that I'm working on. And definitely my dad, one of the first things he told me after the race, he said, ‘Congrats, but’ - there’s always a but! He told me, ‘If I see you getting another track limits warning for nothing, I'm going to stretch your neck like a chicken!’ Those were his words. So yeah, it's something I need to definitely work on…".
Antonelli Sr. was joking of course, but the point was well made. On a more serious note, his son also took the opportunity to thank his family, and in particular his father, for helping to put him in the position he is in today as World Championship leader.
"I think the fact of having a great team around me, having a great family around me, has helped me throughout this journey so far. And it’s still doing that, of course. Obviously, I've been with Mercedes since 2018, so I've been growing up with them, and being able to as well get to know the people more inside out, helps as well in Formula 1. Also, having a great relationship with them helps to enjoy the weekend much more, and that allows you as well to be freer. So I think it's all little bits that add to the performance. And then of course my family, who have been supporting me all the way. Of course, they still do. But obviously, my dad is kind of like my rock, because we share so many things together, and I always like hearing his point of view after sessions, after a race, after Qualifying, because that's what we've been doing ever since karting. And also having someone like him next to me in this journey, especially in a year like this, is very important to have that family support, especially from someone who knows me better than anyone. So for sure he is still playing a massive role, and it's also together with the team that helped me to develop, to grow, to mature as a person, and that's also what is making the biggest difference compared to last year, for example".
Antonelli was also asked whether he thought he was the best driver on the grid in the first half of 2026?
"Well, it's so hard to say. I think I've been one of the best, but I wouldn't say I've been the best driver on the grid. But to be fair, if I look back, I think we were the one doing the least amount of mistakes, and that I think is what brought us here and now allowed us to get good results. Of course, we've had a really strong car as well. But I think on my side, what I can be happy about going into summer break - and of course, there's still this weekend to finish off well - I think execution-wise, together with the team, we've done an incredible job, and that allowed us to put ourselves in that position. So I think on that side we did really well in this first half".
George Russell has admitted ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix that recent setbacks in this year’s title race have made it the toughest battle psychologically I’ve had, with Mercedes discovering a software issue from the previous round. Russell’s title hopes took another blow last weekend during the Belgian Grand Prix, with the Briton being eliminated on the opening lap after a collision with Lewis Hamilton. With Mercedes team mate Kimi Antonelli taking his sixth win of the season, the margin between the pair sits at 50 points heading to the Hungaroring this weekend.
"I think it’s probably fair to say it is the toughest battle psychologically I’ve had, just because there have been so many ups and downs combined with things in my control that haven’t been great. But also things outside of my control that have hampered progression. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. I feel proud of my resilience. Three days after Spa, I feel positive and excited for the weekend. I’m looking at the future prospects and not the past disappointment. I guess that’s the good thing with racing - you’ve often got an opportunity just around the corner".
Russell’s opening lap retirement in Belgium was a direct consequence of having lost several positions along the straight after running out of battery power. Team Principal Toto Wolff confirmed that all Mercedes power units suffered an issue, with Antonelli not as badly impacted due to lifting off briefly and downshifting through Eau Rouge. Mercedes investigated the issue ahead of this weekend, with Russell confident that the problem has been resolved.
"We think it was a software bug. It wasn’t the driving style that was contributing to the loss of power, so that’s something at least. I think Spa gave us the right pointers on where to look for the problem. It’s like picking a needle out of a haystack, really. Suddenly, when you know where you’ve got to look, maybe you can find the problem. Thankfully, I think we have. Time will tell, but it wasn’t an easy couple of weeks".
Lando Norris has admitted that he wants to remain patient before I get too excited about McLaren’s new upgrades for the Hungarian Grand Prix, which should help them close the gap to the frontrunners. The reigning World Champion has endured a rollercoaster first half of the 2026 season, with reliability issues coming to a head last time out at Spa-Francorchamps where Norris had to take a 10-place grid penalty for replacing a variety of power unit components. It coincided with a particularly strong weekend for the Briton as he posted the third fastest time in Qualifying and demonstrated fantastic pace on his way to finishing P7, so much so that he believed he could have finished on the podium if it wasn’t for the penalty. McLaren are hopeful that they can extract similar performance at the Hungaroring, where they secured 1-2 finishes in the previous two seasons. They may not be tipped to repeat that achievement in 2026, but their updated floor and other aerodynamic parts should work well at the high-downforce circuit.
"I’d say this upgrade is probably the biggest of the year by quite a long way, so we’re hoping it’s going to bring us a step forward. There’s been a couple of bits this year that haven’t worked exactly the same as we’ve expected or as we wanted, so I’m just being patient before I get too excited over anything".
Elaborating on what he’s expecting from the upgrade, he explained: “More grip, a faster car I hope. Let’s just wait and see first. Obviously hoping that it just allows us to get more pace out of the car and limit some of the issues that we have currently, or at least make them a little bit less.
"I’m confident we can still be quick. I think there have been many races this year where we’ve been quick. Spa was probably one of the first alongside Miami where I think we generally seemed pretty decent, and actually the pace was pretty strong even compared to the frontrunners, or the quickest. Where we’re clearly behind is still just Qualifying - there’s no chance we’re getting close to going four-tenths quicker in Qualifying, or half a second quicker. I think there are bits on both sides that need to improve but I certainly hope the upgrade can give us a little bit of a jump".
While Norris is targeting his first podium finish since the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix, his team mate Oscar Piastri is suffering an even longer wait, having missed out on the rostrum since Round 4 in Miami. Despite struggling for speed at a number of circuits, the Australian has consistently placed in the top five with the exception of Canada, where he collided with Alex Albon, and Great Britain, where he sustained damage on the opening lap. Looking ahead to Hungary, Piastri said:
"I think we should be a bit more competitive. We've got a few upgrades this weekend, so hopefully that puts us a bit closer to being able to fight. I think in Spa, certainly in the race, we were probably a bit more competitive than we expected so that was a good thing. I actually can't remember if I used the updates on the simulator. We should be faster - that's all I care about. I feel like we've got a pretty good track record with upgrades for the most part and how they perform in the sim versus reality. Fingers crossed it just makes us quicker".
Max Verstappen is hopeful that Red Bull can continue their upward trend at the Hungarian Grand Prix, having been encouraged by the nice improvements the team are making so far in 2026. After a steady start to the campaign, and F1’s new era of regulations, Red Bull made a clear step forward three rounds ago in Austria, where they introduced a major upgrade package for the RB22 challenger. Verstappen has put those updates to good use, scoring podiums at the Red Bull Ring and at Spa-Francorchamps last weekend, and only missed out on another at Silverstone due to an issue with their flip-flop rear wing, which has since been removed. Ahead of this weekend’s action in Budapest, which will be the last before the summer break, Verstappen expressed his optimism that Red Bull will be competitive enough to keep that momentum going.
"I’m looking forward to go out here and see how competitive we are - I don’t really know. We had a decent weekend in Spa; to be on the podium there was definitely very nice. It’s been in general an upwards trend the last few races, so that’s good to see. The season probably didn’t start where we wanted it to start, so we’re making nice improvements".
Asked if it is a case of Red Bull’s new power unit over-performing, and their chassis under-performing, so far this season, the Dutchman added:
"I think the engine guys in general have been very straightforward and honest about what they were doing, so everything that they said more or less came true, I think. I mean, it’s nice anyway to see the project where it started a few years ago to where we are now. It’s super impressive to have this kind of performance. We didn’t start the season, I guess, how we wanted it to go, but we see an upwards trend. Hopefully we can keep that momentum going".
As for whether Red Bull will get themselves in a position to return to winning ways before the year is out, Verstappen signed off:
"I hope at some point. I don’t know when, but we always go out there to try and win".
After 10 rounds, Verstappen sits seventh in the Drivers’ Championship on 91 points, 113 away from leader Kimi Antonelli, while Red Bull are fourth in the Teams’ battle, behind McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes. What was seen at Spa-Francorchamps, between exaggerated super-clipping and power unit software taking paths unknown to the teams, certainly wasn't the best possible advertisement for the 2026 regulations. And several drivers have spoken out publicly, exasperated and frustrated by what is happening. In the Budapest paddock, Max Verstappen pointed out:
"In recent races, more and more people are seeing what I had predicted a long time ago. I wasn't saying it because I wasn't winning anymore, but only because I care about this sport".
Verstappen then started a long back-and-forth with journalists, in which he spoke very openly about his point of view and public perception:
"Sometimes people say it was a fantastic race and I reply that the way we are racing isn't really realistic. At some tracks we are driving with a power level that isn't appropriate for F1 standards and it's not much fun. I don't really like these overtakes. Sometimes it's funny to see that the guy in front completely drains his battery and you overtake him without literally doing anything. I prefer overtaking under braking, while now they happen right in the middle of the straights".
Verstappen then went off the cuff:
"The problem is that real racing fans understand it. Anyone who isn't a real racing fan thinks it's cool that you see more overtakes, but they aren't real. That's not the spirit of racing".
Certainly a quote that will remain among the most iconic of the entire season. Max Verstappen also talked about the unpredictable electrical deployment:
"There is not much we can do, for us drivers it doesn't feel natural. It's a matter of acceleration: sometimes if you are faster in a corner, you then lose out on the following straight. In every championship you gain in corners... Now instead you have to think about using a different gear, changing your braking technique or the way you get back on the accelerator. In practice you end up nullifying a large part of your lap time. That's why there are often close battles: because sometimes it's not possible to make a difference".
Fernando Alonso's future in Formula 1 is increasingly at the center of attention. The Spaniard had already stated that he wanted to wait until the summer break before deciding whether to continue into 2027 as well, and with the holidays now approaching, the possibility of retirement looks more concrete today than in recent weeks. During the Hungarian GP press conference, the Aston Martin driver clarified that he has no particular doubts about the team's future, but harbours growing perplexities about the emotions that current single-seaters are able to convey. According to Alonso, the recent Grands Prix at Silverstone and Spa-Francorchamps highlighted a problem that goes beyond the competitiveness of the cars. The two-time world champion believes that Formula 1 has lost part of the adrenaline that has always characterized it, both for those who drive and for those watching the races. A reflection that inevitably weighs on his decision regarding his future: Alonso still feels competitive and motivated, but the pleasure of driving remains an essential factor to continue his career.
"I don't need answers from the team, I have a clear picture and I'm convinced it will sort out all the problems. It will take time, but I have no doubts that Adrian will produce the best car on the grid sooner or later. I would like to see the first steps forward with this package, surely we will see more next year and in the future; as for the power unit, even in that case I have no doubts, it's just a matter of time before Honda sorts out the problems, it's what it has always done over the last 40 years. I am thinking about what I will do next year and the years to come. I feel fresh, motivated and fast, but I have to enjoy the job I do. Silverstone and Spa were not fun to drive and to watch. It's not to criticize, but simply to improve the sport together. Behind the cockpit, there is no longer the same adrenaline we once felt driving an F1 car. I think this needs to be taken into consideration, not the competitiveness of my team: F1 must give me adrenaline because I need this adrenaline to live".
Alonso's words represent a clear message: his future will not depend solely on Aston Martin's competitiveness, but also on Formula 1's ability to give back to the drivers those sensations that have made this sport unique. If the adrenaline continues to be lacking, the two-time world champion might really consider bringing his career to a close at the end of next season.
With many teams bringing a raft of upgrades to Budapest, all drivers immediately head out onto the Hungaroring circuit once the session goes live at 1330 local time, with the venue set to host the 40th Hungarian Grand Prix this weekend. This includes five rookie drivers, with Fred Vesti notably in Kimi Antonelli's Mercedes as the Drivers' Championship leader watches from the sidelines for the opening one-hour session on Friday. Team mate and title rival George Russell moves to the top of the times after the opening salvos, posting a 1m 22.056s on the medium Pirelli rubber, before Leclerc sets a 1m 20.884s as the track surface begins to clear up rapidly. Having backed off on his opening flying lap after finding Carlos Sainz's Williams on the racing line into Turn 12 - with both noted for driving erratically which will be investigated after the session - Verstappen moves to the top of the times with a 1m 20.788s, despite complaining that the downshifts are horrendous. Leclerc is also briefly blocked by Hamilton at Turn 12 before setting a new benchmark with his next effort - a 1m 20.287s - approaching the 15-minute mark. Hamilton moves into second, three tenths adrift, but the seven-time World Champion complains that his car's ride is too stiff, as Colton Herta (in for Valtteri Bottas at Cadillac) and Alex Albon's Williams both suffer lock-ups into Turn 1. Russell becomes the first driver to move onto the soft rubber just before the halfway point and instantly sets a new session-best with a 1m 20.066s, but he is beaten almost immediately by Verstappen's 1m 19.559s. Norris had been quickest in the opening sector, but running wide at Turn 11 over the kerb means the reigning World Champion backs out. Leclerc is soon lighting up the timing screen with the red-walled tyre, lowering the best time down to a 1m 19.075s which means he is half a second clear of Verstappen, with Russell another driver to suffer a big lock-up into Turn 1, leaving the Briton to complain about the ride in his Mercedes. With just over 20 minutes remaining the red flag is deployed as Lance Stroll in the heavily revised Aston Martin comes to a stop on the exit of Turn 3, with the left-rear suspension having failed and which pitches him into a spin. The session resumes with 17 minutes remaining, as drivers and teams continue to focus on Qualifying simulations with the soft tyre, while Sainz suffers a huge double-front lock-up into Turn 1. Leclerc remains fastest at the chequered flag, but his session comes to an end with seven minutes still remaining after something breaks in his Ferrari at Turn 13 and he comes to a halt having recovered to the entry of the pit lane. Verstappen finishes ahead of Hamilton, with Isack Hadjar making it both Red Bulls inside the top four, as Russell, Gabriel Bortoleto, Vesti, Nico Hulkenberg in the second Audi and the two Racing Bulls of Arvid Lindblad and Liam Lawson complete the top 10.
Adrian Newey has explained how getting to a point of respectability is the immediate goal for Aston Martin with the introduction of their upgrade package at the Hungarian Grand Prix. Aston Martin have endured a painful 2026 season so far, with their AMR26 car - penned by F1 design guru Newey - and Honda’s power unit failing to live up to expectations, leaving the squad cut adrift at the back of the F1 field. At the Hungaroring on Friday, with a whopping 16 updates reported in the FIA’s pre-weekend submission document, Aston Martin’s overhauled car hit the track - Fernando Alonso finishing Free Practice 1 in a solid 13th position, 2.4 seconds off the pace. Newey, who is both Managing Technical Partner and Team Principal at Aston Martin, subsequently joined Friday’s team representative press conference to answer an array of questions about the new package, and how it is performing so far.
"It’s very early days in terms of understanding it. The provisional results are promising. It’s only part of the package. We’ll have some more steps in Zandvoort, and then further steps in Monza and Baku. It’s the first part of our planned upgrade. We’re very short on parts, so we’re being careful and trying to learn all about it".
Opening up on the changes, he explain:
"It’s an evolution in as much as the chassis is the same, the layout is the same, the front suspension is the same. It’s very much an aerodynamic evolution. We were very short on research time prior to launching the car in Barcelona in January, so it’s really been a matter of taking step back, trying to understand, and going forward with this package".
Newey was then asked about the performance goals Aston Martin have set for the Budapest weekend, and the second half of the season as a whole - initially drawing a coy response from the experienced engineer.
"I’ve never been a fan of setting goals. I’m much more a fan of working logically through problems, getting everybody working together, getting the culture together, and at that point, you end up where you end up. What I have found over the years is, when you’re not winning, it seems an impossible mountain to climb, and when you are winning, sometimes you’re not sure how you got there, because you’re not actually doing anything differently, or you don’t feel as if you’re doing anything differently".
Put to him that this could be the end of a nightmare and the start of a dream for Aston Martin, Newey smile:
"Hopefully! These first races have been a complete nightmare. Hopefully we can get at least to a point of respectability now - I think that’s the immediate goal. Then from there, we can try to keep moving forwards".
Newey also took a moment to address Lance Stroll’s stoppage during first practice, with the Canadian dramatically spinning out between Turns 2 and 3, and the team subsequently reporting a suspected rear-left suspension issue.
"As you can imagine, everybody’s feverishly trying to understand exactly what went wrong, and what happened, as we speak,” said Newey. “It’s only once we have that understanding that we can comment on what we do next".
Push on whether that part of the car is new, he add:
"The area involved has actually not been changed. We are short on spares, because the cladding and so forth is different. There are some minor changes to that area. In that sense, it’s very unexpected. As I said, until we have an understanding, it’s difficult to comment further".
With several teams still trying to finetune their upgrades – including Aston Martin after Lance Stroll suffered a suspension issue to bring his FP1 to an early end - many are eager to make the most of the 60-minute session, which gets underway at 5:00 p.m. local time. The Silverstone-based outfit arrives in Hungary with the most significant updates, having essentially introduced a B-spec car in the hopes of gaining on the midfield, but McLaren also have a substantial new package while Red Bull have brought back their rotating rear wing. Cadillac and Alpine are the first to head out in the breezy conditions, with Kimi Antonelli, Oscar Piastri, Franco Colapinto, Ollie Bearman and Valtteri Bottas appearing for the first time after stepping aside for their rookie counterparts in FP1. It is quickly confirmed that Stroll will not take part as his team doesn’t have enough time to repair the damage he sustains earlier in the day, leaving Fernando Alonso as the sole representative for Aston Martin. As the Spaniard continues to provide valuable data about their heavily revised car, Leclerc sets the initial benchmark of 1m 20.103s on medium tyres - around a second adrift of his soft compound run in FP1 - before Hamilton goes four-tenths faster. The Ferrari pair look strong from the get-go, but someone who isn’t as happy with their performance is Pierre Gasly, who reports:
"Something feels wrong on the car, it’s extremely bad. It just feels broken in Turn 12. Something with the front is wrong".
It is soon made clear that with the wind picking up, balance around the circuit is becoming a sticking point. George Russell insists that his Mercedes feels dreadful” and “so out of balance, and his team mate similarly questions the behaviour of his car as he almost spins twice on braking. A more comfortable Hamilton improves his time to maintain his hold on P1, but the complaints continue for his competitors, including the second Ferrari of Leclerc, who suffers three lock-ups in the first 20 minutes before returning to the pits. Next up are the soft tyre runs, which see Norris complete the fastest lap of the session in his upgraded McLaren, setting a time of 1m 19.228s. Just as Antonelli begins to line up a response, the red flag forces him to abort his flying lap following a crash for Colapinto. The Argentine is the first to be fully caught out by the low grip at the final corner, where he loses the rear and spins backwards into the barrier, leaving Alpine with an overnight repair job on their hands. Once his car has been recovered, the Qualifying simulation laps resume and Ferrari show that they’re currently the team to beat at the Hungaroring - Leclerc shoots back to the top spot, posting a 1m 18.877s, and Hamilton slots in just 0.037s behind. But the Briton isn’t done yet as he cuts his time down even more, opening up an advantage of more than a tenth over his team mate. With the focus then switching to long runs, his effort of 1m 18.729s remains the best of the day and he ends FP2 ahead of Leclerc and Norris. After hitting debris shed by Alonso’s Aston Martin, Max Verstappen takes fourth for Red Bull, leading Russell, Isack Hadjar and Liam Lawson. Piastri is seventh, with the top 10 rounded out by Nico Hulkenberg and Arvid Lindblad. Charles Leclerc believes that Ferrari must do everything perfect in order to keep the competition at bay for the remaining action in Hungary, where he and team mate Lewis Hamilton exchanged the fastest laps of Friday’s running. Despite the difficult conditions at the Hungaroring causing drivers to complain about balance and a lack of grip, the Scuderia got off to a flying start as Leclerc topped the times in FP1 from Max Verstappen and Hamilton. It wasn’t entirely smooth sailing - the Monegasque reported that something broke on his car and he ended the session in the pit lane, but the issue was fixed in time for him to once again be in the mix at the front during FP2. After finishing the afternoon session in second place, 0.148s off Hamilton’s benchmark, Leclerc said:
"It was a relatively strong day. From the beginning I felt quite good with the car, and performance seemed to be good straightaway so that’s a good thing. The weekend is still long. From Friday to Saturday, we see teams making a jump in performance. Normally we are on the back foot on the Friday so it’s a good thing that we had a good Friday, but we still need to stay on it and work hard in order to get better for tomorrow. It’s going to be tight tomorrow as always. I don’t expect us to have the gap that we’ve had today, so we’ll have to do everything perfect. If the feeling is there, I’m sure we’ll do a good job in Q3".
Ferrari’s closest rivals on Friday - Red Bull’s Verstappen and McLaren’s Lando Norris - both wound up around half a second adrift with the field spread larger than expected, but Team Principal Fred Vasseur was nevertheless wary of assuming their advantage will remain in place.
"It was a bit more messy today in the afternoon in FP2 with traffic, the red flag and so on. So far, the balance is okay. That means that we'll probably see a bit more tomorrow morning with the car a bit more split on track, and it will probably be a bit easier to do a proper lap. So far so good but it’s not on Friday that you’re doing pole, and even less that you win the race. It’s good to start the weekend like this but let’s see tomorrow. It will be another story".
George Russell believes that Ferrari look very strong having dominated Friday practice ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix, while Mercedes struggled for performance. Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton each finished fastest in both of Friday's one-hour sessions in Budapest, with the tight, twisty confines of the Hungaroring expected to suit the Scuderia's car this weekend. Despite leading both the Teams' and Drivers' standings, Mercedes drivers George Russell and Kimi Antonelli failed to challenge the leading times in either session.
"It was quite a strange day out there I think for everybody. It's an amazing track to drive but they've resurfaced half the track, super bumpy. Our single lap pace didn't look great, the long run looked more competitive but what we feared with Ferrari seemed to the case. They look very strong".
Russell admitted that he trusted in the team that everything has been resolved after a software issue denied him maximum power at the previous round in Belgium, but that in general we've got work to do as a team, Ferrari are a good step ahead of everyone right now. Antonelli, who leads Russell by 50 points and Hamilton by 45, had a delayed start to proceedings on Friday, as his Mercedes was being driven by the team's Third Driver Fred Vesti in FP1. Once in the car for FP2, the Italian finished P13 having been unable to complete a Qualifying run, with his first effort halted by a red flag after Franco Colapinto crashed, while he suffered an oversteer moment on his second flying lap. Despite the setbacks, Mercedes Deputy Team Principal Bradley Lord was confident the team would be in the mix come Qualifying tomorrow as they look to continue a 100% pole record in Grands Prix this season.
"We hope we can fight for pole, we've been competitive at every type of circuit this year. I know there's a certain narrative that certain circuits favour us and others will favour them. We've seen generally other teams swing back and forth a reasonable amount but I think we've been pretty consistently fighting up there, at the front and able to compete for pole at every race, so that has to be our target for tomorrow".
Oscar Piastri is optimistic about there being a lot up for grabs for himself and McLaren as the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend develops, with the squad’s upgrades working as expected on team mate Lando Norris’ car. Most of the F1 field struggled for grip across Friday’s pair of practice sessions around the resurfaced and dusty Hungaroring track, leading to various lock-ups, wide moments and a crash for Alpine’s Franco Colapinto. Piastri’s efforts to get up to speed were made more difficult after he sat out FP1 for McLaren reserve driver Leonardo Fornaroli - the Australian jumping into the cockpit in FP2 and winding up eighth fastest. However, Piastri did not run the full update package used by Norris, who posted the third-quickest time of the day behind pace-setting Ferrari drivers Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc. Summing up his afternoon at the wheel, Piastri says:
"Very, very challenging, for sure. I think the track conditions are pretty challenging out there - it’s very windy. It’s just a very challenging circuit at the moment, and obviously missing a practice session has made it pretty tough".
Pushed on McLaren’s upgrades, Piastri noted:
"I didn’t have them today. I think on Lando’s car they’ve been working as expected, which is good. I don’t think they’ve completely changed the car, which obviously we weren’t expecting, but would have been nice. We’ll see what it’s like on my car tomorrow and hopefully we can have a successful day".
In terms of the competitive order, he add:
"I think the Ferraris looked very quick in both sessions. I think Lando looked competitive in that one FP2 especially. I think the Mercedes is very hard to read, so let’s wait and see tomorrow. I think if we execute a good day, it seems like there can be a lot up for grabs".
Randy Singh, McLaren’s Senior Director of Racing, shared some more insight into the changes made to the MCL40, and the outfit’s hopes that they will ultimately cut the gap to the front of the grid.
"All the upgrades, really, have delivered as we expected, which is the most positive thing that we can say. Today, Oscar ran the old floor in P2, just so we could compare across cars, so tomorrow Oscar will have the new floor as well. I’m looking forward to seeing where we end up tomorrow. The gap to whoever’s been quickest in Qualifying or in the race has been a bit bigger in recent races, so we always knew that we weren’t going to close that gap in one go, but hopefully we’ve made a good step to doing so".
Isack Hadjar has admitted that Red Bull have plenty of catching up to do in order to challenge Ferrari at the Hungarian Grand Prix, with the Frenchman lamenting how his day got worse as it went on. It was far from an easy start to the weekend as many of the drivers struggled with the dusty conditions at the Hungaroring, but Hadjar nevertheless got off to a strong start by setting the fourth fastest time in FP1, albeit 0.922s off Charles Leclerc’s benchmark. Although the wind picked up to make balance more difficult in the second hour of practice, the Ferrari man and his team mate Lewis Hamilton found further improvements while Hadjar dropped back to P6, leaving him frustrated by the increased gap to their rivals.
"Very tricky FP2. I thought FP1 was tough enough - it got worse in FP2 with the wind. It’s hard to get a proper read with the changes we made. As soon as I’m in the car, it’s working okay. It’s just that the Ferraris are always stronger. We’ve got to find quite a bit of lap time tonight. Our long run seemed pretty good, but that one-lap pace is lacking".
Elaborating on how big a concern the Scuderia’s early performance was, Hadjar says:
"I knew they were going to be quick on a track like that. At the moment, I think we’re waiting for Mercedes to wake up. Like always, I think it’s going to be very close with the McLarens so that’s where we are at the moment".
The 21-year-old executed a remarkable recovery drive last time out at the Belgian Grand Prix, where a substantial grid penalty saw him start from P21 before he charged through the field to cross the line in sixth place. His team mate Max Verstappen finished on the podium in the same race, but any momentum at Red Bull has been knocked back by the Hungaroring’s vastly different characteristics, with Technical Director Pierre Wache explaining that they have a lot of work to do.
"We’re not where we should be or where we want to be. Our drivers are not happy with the car balance. Clearly the grip at this track is very low on Friday. The bumps of the track are also perturbing the car balance. We expected that Ferrari would be the quickest in some corners here and that they’d have an advantage mainly on one-lap performance, I would say. We’ll see what they have on the long run, but they have the car to beat here".
When the session kicks off at 1230 local time, Alpine’s Franco Colapinto is the first man to head out on track, having lost valuable running on Friday when he runs wide at the final corner and slides into the barriers - causing plenty of car damage. Lance Stroll also emerges from the pits early on, after spinning out of FP1 with a suspension issue and then missing the entirety of FP2, as the Canadian looks to join team mate Fernando Alonso in gaining an understanding of the heavily updated Aston Martin. While more cars gradually filter out, one driver going nowhere is Arvid Lindblad, whose Racing Bulls machine sits up on jacks amid an apparent power unit issue - the team having broken the paddock curfew overnight to fix a similar problem on Liam Lawson’s car. Around a third of the way into the session, with the likes of Antonelli, George Russell and Max Verstappen yet to appear, Norris leads the way for McLaren via a 1m 19.062s on soft tyres, a couple of tenths quicker than Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar. However, just as the timesheets are lighting up with more personal best laps, Sergio Perez hits trouble exiting the pit lane, grinds to a halt on the approach to Turn 2 and brings out the red flags.
"I lose the engine; I have a massive brake".
Says the Cadillac driver.
"It looks like the brakes are on fire at the back".
With the track cleared and Perez transported back to the pits, the FP3 action resumes at 1256, leaving just over half an hour for drivers to pick up their practice programmes and make some final observations ahead of the all-important Qualifying hour. Antonelli, Russell and Verstappen finally hit the track at this point, with the Briton’s first lap putting him second to Norris, the Dutchman going fifth behind team mate Hadjar and the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc, and the Italian provisionally slotting into sixth before losing his lap time for exceeding track limits. It is all change a few minutes later, though, when Hamilton pumps in a 1m 19.053s to go P1 for the Scuderia, team mate Leclerc goes even faster on a 1m 18.668s, and Antonelli then slots between the pair of them - before requesting a check of his Mercedes’ floor, which has thumped the Turn 4 kerb. Heading into the final 15 minutes of the session, championship leader Antonelli makes another move, producing a time of 1m 18.254s and taking over at the top, only for Norris and his upgraded McLaren to edge back in front with a 1m 18.206s. Hamilton has looked set to make it a practice clean sweep for Ferrari by improving to a 1m 18.056s, but Norris goes again - and this time avoids a slide through the final corner - to wind up with an eye-catching benchmark time of 1m 17.939s. Antonelli places third, ahead of Leclerc and Oscar Piastri, with Russell back in sixth (six-tenths off the pace), and the Red Bulls of Verstappen and Hadjar taking P7 and P8 respectively - the latter reporting an undriveable experience late on. Lawson places an encouraging ninth for Racing Bulls, followed by the Audis of Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto, while the other VCARB 03 of Lindblad makes it out in the closing stages to split the Alpines of Pierre Gasly and Colapinto.
After three hours of practice filled with lock-ups, wide moments and learning about upgrades - as well as a promising performance from both Ferrari drivers - it is time for the all-important Qualifying hour. The Hungaroring is sometimes known as ‘Monaco without the walls’ for a reason - overtaking opportunities are limited at this circuit, requiring patience, intelligence and most importantly, a strong grid position. Some of the drivers more used to Q1 exits head out as soon as the light turns green at the end of the pit lane, with Bottas the first on track, followed by Sainz and Albon. The Williams pair have endured a torrid weekend to this point, struggling for performance at the high-downforce venue. They are soon joined by Alonso, who sets an initial benchmark of 1m 20.685s on soft tyres as he aims to maximise the near brand-new Aston Martin. Unsurprisingly, his time is blown out of the water by Hamilton, with the Briton breaking into the 1m 18s bracket on the more durable medium compound. His Ferrari team mate has his first effort deleted for exceeding track limits at Turn 3, allowing Red Bull through to sandwich Hamilton at the top of the timesheets - Verstappen seizes P1 by a small margin of 0.074s and Hadjar slots into P3, both on the red-walled tyres. Antonelli is next to bump Hamilton down a spot as he improves to second place behind the Dutchman, with the top four drivers separated by mere hundredths until Norris completes a spectacular lap to go over three tenths clear at the top. The drop zone features Bearman, both Williams drivers, both Cadillacs and Bortoleto, whose first lap is discounted due to track limits. After a short return to the pits, only a few minutes remain for those at risk to find the time needed to progress to Q2. Norris ultimately remains in first place despite Antonelli’s best efforts to outpace him, but despite a flurry of improvements, Bearman, Sainz, Albon, the upgraded Aston Martin of Stroll, and Bottas and Perez are eliminated from the session. The top 10 seems too distant an ambition for Aston Martin, but Alonso is still eager to show what their new package can really do as he becomes the first driver on track in the opening minutes of Q2. Just as Verstappen sets an early standard of 1m 18.249s, his team mate Hadjar brings out the yellow flag after he dips a wheel in the gravel and spins onto the grass, forcing him to go back to the pits and reset before going again.
Normal conditions quickly resume and Hamilton sets the fastest lap of the weekend so far - 1m 17.931s - but reports that he can still extract more time, which isn't the best news for his rival Antonelli, who complains that Mercedes are doing something wrong with tyres as he feels he has zero grip. The Italian’s session gets even worse as he is the next driver to have his time deleted, putting him under immense pressure to deliver in the last two minutes. Someone who rises above similar tension is Hadjar - he charges into top spot with the clean lap he needs. Antonelli manages to improve to P6 and Leclerc also escapes from the drop zone by improving to P2, just after Norris reclaims first place by another significant margin. While the usual frontrunners make it through, Lawson ends up P11 ahead of Alpine’s Gasly and Colapinto, Bortoleto, Ocon and Alonso. It is a gradual start to Q3 as many want to wait as long as possible to capitalise on the track evolution, with Verstappen once again crossing the line first with an opening lap of 1m 17.725s. McLaren’s Norris outperforms the Red Bull driver with a mighty lap, but an error towards the end means that Hamilton is able to sail into P1, holding an advantage of just over a tenth to the reigning World Champion. After the first runs are completed, Hamilton remains the driver to beat from Norris, Leclerc and Antonelli, while the second Mercedes of Russell finds himself half a second off in P7 as his team seems to be lacking pace in the challenge for pole position. Hamilton and Norris go for separate tactics in the battle at the top, with the former choosing to be the first on track for his final attempt while Norris will be the last to take the chequered flag. The Ferrari driver cannot improve, paving the way for Norris to storm through and take pole position with a stellar 1m 17.207s lap. He manages to avoid two yellow flags on his way to P1, the first of which is waved as Verstappen spins and insists that his car is completely broken. Russell prompts the second as Mercedes orders him to pull up at Turn 1 and abandon the session, leaving him resigned to P7 on the grid behind third-placed Leclerc, the lead Silver Arrows of Antonelli, Piastri and Verstappen. However, there will be an investigation after Qualifying into an incident that sees Hamilton potentially impede Piastri, which can result in a grid penalty for the Briton. At the other end of the top 10, Hadjar qualifies P8 for Red Bull ahead of midfield stars Lindblad and Hulkenberg.
Lando Norris admitted to feeling pleasantly surprised about beating Ferrari pair Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc to pole position for the Hungarian Grand Prix, having delivered a pair of laps in Q3 that he described as not the best. Norris, who topped Saturday’s third and final practice session, was one of several contenders for pole around the tight, twisty Hungaroring circuit, with McLaren’s upgrade package appearing to deliver a step forward. While Hamilton led the way after the opening Q3 runs, neither the Briton nor Ferrari team mate Leclerc managed to improve on their second, which gave Norris a chance that he duly took by going 0.012 seconds quicker.
"I’m very, very happy - very happy to be back on top. A tough, tough Quali. Obviously these guys here [the Ferrari drivers] were very quick. It’s been pretty tight the whole weekend. We’ve seemed quick from the first laps that we did. We brought a few upgrades, and it’s hard to know how much it helps in terms of lap time, but it certainly helped today. I’m very, very happy to be back on top, especially at a track where you want to be on pole".
Push on how the pole shootout unfolded, he add:
"Honestly, I had confidence the whole of today. My laps in Q3 were not the best, even the one at the end, so I’m pleasantly surprised to be on top. We’ve been doing a good job, the car’s been feeling good, I’ve had good confidence. I certainly pushed it a little bit more on the last lap… some paid off, some didn’t, but the main thing is we did it in the end. I’m very, very pleased for the team, a big thanks to them for working so hard, and another big job tomorrow".
Norris then threw it forward to Sunday’s Grand Prix, and his chances of converting pole into what would also mark McLaren’s first victory of the season.
"I mean, I’m in the best position for it, of course, but these guys get good starts, they’ve been fast all season. I’m expecting still a tough race. Obviously they did Q1 on the mediums, so it’ll be interesting to know what tyre they’re going to start on tomorrow. They may be in potentially a slightly better position with some things, but otherwise we did the job that we had to do today, so I’m pleased for that. Tonight, we’ll make sure we prepare in the best way possible for tomorrow".
Charles Leclerc has admitted that his pace was never to the level of Ferrari team mate Lewis Hamilton across Saturday’s Qualifying session for the Hungarian Grand Prix, with the Monegasque left to rue deficits in two key corners. Leclerc, who claimed pole at the Hungaroring in 2025, posted a fastest time of 1m 17.445s during the decisive Q3 phase, comparing to a 1m 17.219s from Hamilton and a 1m 17.207s from pole-sitting McLaren driver Lando Norris. Sharing his emotions after the session, Leclerc sighed:
"I’m a bit disappointed. Disappointed mostly because I didn’t find a solution for Turn 1 and Turn 12 all today, really. In FP3 already I was struggling with Turn 1 and Turn 12, and I was still losing three-tenths or something like this in Q3 in Turn 1 and Turn 12. I’m a bit disappointed with it. I’ll look into it to try and fix that for tomorrow. Today there was quite a bit of a wind change, and I don’t think I did a great job anticipating it with the car set-up. I felt a little bit off from this morning, then Qualifying has been quite messy, to be honest. We’ve been a bit unlucky in Q2 with the yellow flag in the last sector, then we were kind of trying to… We were playing catch-up. But the pace was never to the level of Lewis, so it was all about trying to maximise today. I felt I kind of did it".
Turning his attention to Sunday’s Grand Prix - which he will nonetheless start ahead of Hamilton, who was given a three-place grid penalty post-Qualifying for impeding Oscar Piastri - Leclerc pointed to the importance of nailing the long run down to Turn 1, with overtaking opportunities at a premium around the tight, twisty Budapest venue.
"We were competitive all weekend. It’s true that today everybody seems to have done a big, big step forward that we didn’t do, but it’s still a long race tomorrow. I do believe that our race pace is strong, but it’s true again that people have done a step forward since yesterday, so I’m pretty sure it’s going to be very close. On a track like this, the start particularly will be very key".
Lewis Hamilton has received a three-place grid penalty for the Hungarian Grand Prix after he impeded Oscar Piastri during Qualifying, with the Briton originally claiming P2 during the session. As the top-10 drivers prepared for their final laps, Ferrari looked to be in direct competition with McLaren's Lando Norris for pole position, and it was Hamilton who provisionally took the top spot. However, Norris found the time he needed to qualify P1 for the first time this season, relegating the 41-year-old to second place before it was then revealed that Hamilton would be investigated after Qualifying. The incident unfolded as Piastri was trying to improve on his last attempt, which Hamilton was unaware of. He blocked the Australian at Turn 1, forcing him to go over track limits, abort his lap and settle for P5. Hamilton admitted straight after Qualifying:
"I think my mind is just elsewhere right this second, because once I’d finished my lap, I don’t know if I got in the way of someone, so I’m just trying to run that through my mind, because I wasn’t aware anyone was coming".
It was confirmed that he would be penalised with a grid drop, relegating him to P5 on the grid and promoting Charles Leclerc, Kimi Antonelli and Piastri by one position each. The document released after the hearing reads:
"The Stewards heard from the driver of Car 44, the driver of Car 81, team representatives and reviewed video, telemetry, team radio and in-car video evidence. At the approach to Turn 1, Car 44 was travelling at a significantly reduced speed on the racing line while Car 81 was approaching on a push lap. The driver of Car 44 explained that he had just completed a fast lap and did not receive the team's radio message regarding the approaching Car 81 until the latter was already in close proximity. He further stated that, due to the positioning of his car on the track, Car 81 was not visible in his mirrors. Car 81, which was on a push lap, was forced to take avoiding action by running wide and being obliged to abort the lap. Having examined the available evidence, the Stewards determined that Car 44 unnecessarily impeded Car 81 during Qualifying. In accordance with the FIA F1 Regulations and the established penalty guidelines for this type of infringement in Qualifying, the Stewards impose a three-place grid penalty on the driver of Car 44".
Lewis Hamilton explained after Qualifying in Hungary how he was already preparing himself for a race of damage limitation, ahead of the stewards handing him a grid penalty. Hamilton qualified second to Lando Norris at the Hungaroring on Saturday, but then faced an investigation for an incident with Oscar Piastri at the end of the session. Hamilton, the first driver to complete a second run in Q3, was ultimately found guilty of impeding Piastri at the start of the Australian’s lap, leading to a three-place drop. It means the seven-time World Champion will start Sunday’s race in fifth position, behind Norris, Ferrari team mate Charles Leclerc, Piastri and Max Verstappen. Speaking in his immediate post-Qualifying interview, Hamilton admits:
"We were quickest throughout Qualifying, so pole position definitely got away from us. I think my mind is just elsewhere right this second, because once I’d finished my lap, I don’t know if I got in the way of someone, so I’m just trying to run that through my mind, because I wasn’t aware anyone was coming".
When he arrived in the TV pen, Hamilton was asked for his overriding emotion after just missing out on pole, to which he replies:
"For the lap, not so much. It is what it is. It happens. It’s more the aftermath. I don’t know what’s going to happen, but tomorrow’s probably going to be damage limitation".
Offering some more thoughts on the session as a whole, Hamilton says:
"Congratulations to Lando, it’s a great lap. We’ve been doing a great job all weekend, I felt solid throughout Qualifying, and for some reason… we went out first, which I don’t think was the right call. On top of that, the grip for some reason wasn’t there on that last lap, I think for both Charles and I. It’s obviously a track that I love, we’re obviously competitive, but I think tomorrow is going to be a hard day".
George Russell added another unfortunate reliability issue to his tally as he had to abandon his car at the end of Qualifying in Hungary due to a sudden leak, which he likened to a water pistol being sprayed at the tyres. Mercedes, and especially Russell, had struggled to keep up with rivals Ferrari and McLaren when it came to single lap pace at the Hungaroring, and their woes continued as they headed into Qualifying. Grid position can be key at this circuit due to its limited overtaking opportunities, with Russell’s first effort in Q3 enough for P7. He joined the remaining drivers in lining up a final flying lap but had to abort it after Max Verstappen spun at Turn 13. He subsequently maintained P7 and was shown slowing to a halt at the first corner after Mercedes instructed him to park up, later revealing that his car had a water leak and possible further damage that the team will have to amend overnight. Russell explain:
"It didn’t really affect anything, although there was a water leak and we saw on the tyre temperatures that water was spraying on the tyres during my last lap, so my last lap was rubbish. I think there’s maybe a reason for it because it was like a water pistol being sprayed at the tyres, which doesn’t necessarily give you more grip. The truth is that this whole weekend, we haven’t really had the pace. We’ve looked very strong in the race pace. Did we strike the right balance between the Quali set-up and the race set-up is maybe the question we’ll have answered tomorrow. Just struggled to get the tyres switched on all day".
Russell has suffered the consequences of several problems at Mercedes this season, with the team revealing ahead of this weekend that they discovered and fixed a software issue that caused him to lose power at the recent Belgian Grand Prix. He remains in contention for the title in what he described as the toughest battle I’ve had psychologically, and added that there is still hope when it comes to their race pace in Hungary.
"Yesterday we were a second off in Qualifying practice but in the race pace we were the quickest, which tends to say you’re not getting enough temperature in the tyres for that Qualifying lap. But then in the race when you want to keep the tyres cooler, that’s where it pays off. This is a track where it’s very difficult to overtake o as I said, perhaps we haven’t struck the right balance. Maybe tomorrow when we’ve got good pace - fingers crossed - we’ll say we have".
Mercedes have shared some more details around George Russell’s Qualifying stoppage at the Hungaroring, with a power unit change being carried out on the Briton’s car as a result. Russell explained after the session that an issue on his final Q3 lap led to the feeling of a water pistol being sprayed at the tyres, leaving him back in seventh position - more than half a second away from polesitter Lando Norris.
"It didn’t really affect anything, although there was a water leak and we saw on the tyre temperatures that water was spraying on the tyres during my last lap, so my last lap was rubbish. I think there’s maybe a reason for it because it was like a water pistol being sprayed at the tyres, which doesn’t necessarily give you more grip. The truth is that this whole weekend, we haven’t really had the pace. We’ve looked very strong in the race pace. Did we strike the right balance between the Quali set-up and the race set-up is maybe the question we’ll have answered tomorrow. Just struggled to get the tyres switched on all day".
Following those comments, Mercedes have confirmed that they detected a loss of water pressure on Russell’s car and instructed him to stop on the track as a precaution, once his final Qualifying lap had been completed. Upon further inspection, the decision was made to change Russell’s power unit for race day, moving him onto a fourth unit of the season - and therefore still within his 2026 allocation. Mercedes also stated that as the change is being made to replace a damaged component with one of the same specification, no penalty will be incurred. Russell will gain a spot on the starting grid instead, with team mate Kimi Antonelli being given a three-place drop for a yellow flag breach in Q3. Max Verstappen was left to rue what he deemed as worsening issues in a really tough Qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix, the Dutchman ending the session in P6 after suffering a spin during his final run. While Friday had looked decent for Red Bull on the timesheets - with Verstappen ending each practice session in second and fourth respectively - the four-time World Champion stated later on that he had struggled to find good balance in the car. It seemed that the problems had continued into Saturday, Verstappen having spun in the final moments of Qualifying before reporting that his RB22 was completely broken, leaving him in sixth place on the grid. Quizz afterwards on how difficult it hava been to get performance out of his car, the 28-year-old says:
"I mean, the whole weekend’s been tough but in Qualifying especially, the car is just degrading - we don’t have tyre deg, we have car degradation. I really can’t make anything out of it - it’s just really, really tough. The car suddenly just started oversteering a lot. Honestly every lap that I did in Qualifying just was worse and worse, so it’s not good".
In terms of whether he has any ideas on what the cause of the troubles might be, Verstappen suggested that the nature of the issues continues to change.
"We keep having different problems all the time and that’s probably the biggest issue at the moment, that there is always something else that arises, and that’s not good".
On the other side of the garage, Isack Hadjar was also left searching for answers after ending Qualifying in P8.
"It’s been very annoying the whole weekend. We can’t seem to find the balance we want and it’s very hard to drive, so not ideal. I thought it was maybe going to be a track where we would be competitive, but it’s probably one of our worst. That’s a tough one because we’re halfway through the season, and it’s hard to make big steps at the moment".
Andrea Kimi Antonelli has been given a three-place grid penalty for the Hungarian Grand Prix after a rule violation during Saturday’s Qualifying session. In a post-Qualifying investigation, Antonelli was found to have failed to slow sufficiently for yellow flags brought out when Red Bull’s Max Verstappen spun in Q3, breaching Appendix H, Article 2.5.5 b) of the International Sporting Code and B1.8.4a of the FIA F1 Regulations.
Antonelli had qualified fourth fastest and provisionally gained a spot on the grid due to Lewis Hamilton’s three-place drop for impeding McLaren rival Oscar Piastri at the end of Q3. However, the Italian will now fall back down the grid to P7 for Sunday’s race, adding to the task ahead of him as he looks to extend his lead in the Drivers’ Championship standings. After reviewing all available evidence and reaching their decision, the stewards’ document explain:
"The driver of Car 12 stated that on seeing the yellow flag and light panel, he lifted off the throttle earlier than his previous push lap. This was verified by the telemetry. However, the reduction in speed occurred for a very short period, and in fact the car’s speed when passing the scene of the incident involving Car 3 was slightly higher than that on the previous push lap. The mini sector time was only 0.03 seconds slower than his best time for that mini sector, and whilst, because he had lifted 16 metres earlier, he was 14 km/h slower entering the yellow flag sector, he was 3 km/h faster when passing the incident site due to less application of the brakes entering the corner. The FIA representatives noted that the speed reduction in the mini sector was less than 1%. The Stewards considered this incident to be different to other incidents that have resulted in no further action, because unlike those cases, there was no significant speed delta through the mini sector compared to the driver’s previous fastest time under similar circumstances. The recommended penalty according to the penalty guidelines, for this offence, is a drop of five grid positions, however in mitigation of penalty, we considered that the driver did make a reduction in speed, albeit, in our determination, an insufficient and unsustained one. Further, the driver had limited time and distance to react. Hence a lower penalty is applied".
In a separate Qualifying incident, Antonelli was given a warning by the stewards for driving unnecessarily slowly on an in-lap.
At the end of an ultra-close Qualifying session around the Hungaroring circuit, it is Norris who claims pole position by just 0.012 seconds over Hamilton, with Leclerc taking third and championship leader Antonelli settling for fourth. However, drama follows when both Hamilton and Antonelli are hit with three-place grid drops by the stewards - the Ferrari driver penalised for impeding Piastri and the Mercedes driver punished for failing to slow sufficiently under yellow flags. That means Norris will lead the field away from Leclerc, Piastri and Verstappen, with Hamilton demoted to fifth over Russell, and Antonelli dropping to seventh. Perez, meanwhile, moves from the back of the grid to the pit lane after set-up changes. Just before 1500 local time, when the formation lap gets under way, it is revealed that Norris, Piastri and Verstappen have chosen medium starting tyres, but Leclerc and Hamilton go aggressive with softs - hoping to benefit on the long run down to Turn 1. Bortoleto, Alonso, Sainz and Stroll also bolt on softs, with the rest of the pack taking mediums. At lights out, polesitter Norris makes a clean getaway to retain the lead, while Piastri gets the jump on Leclerc - despite their differing tyres - to follow his team mate into the first corner, and Verstappen goes wheel-to-wheel with the two Ferraris. Then, after getting a run on Norris approaching Turn 2, Piastri surges into the lead via a smart cut-back move at the exit, where Hamilton also completes a pass on team mate Leclerc for fourth and appears to bang wheels with third-placed Verstappen. Further back, it is an awful start for Russell, who tumbles down the order from seventh to 19th.
"What happens there?"
Russell sighs over the radio, with his day made a whole lot more challenging. Anti-stall, comes the response from his engineer. As the race settles down, Piastri sits just over a second clear of Norris, followed by Verstappen, Hamilton and Leclerc. Antonelli holds sixth, having gained a place due to Russell’s poor start, from Hadjar, Lawson, Lindblad and Hulkenberg in the final top-10 positions.
"The damping fails, for sure".
Verstappen mentions over the radio at this point, adding a swear word for good measure.
"Please do something about these shifts".
He says shortly afterwards. Hamilton duly continues to hound the Red Bull amid those struggles but, despite several half-attempts at Turn 1 and 2, he can not quite find a way past. McLaren also are busy on the radio as the gap between Norris and Piastri stabilises.
"Currently we are thinking Plan A".
Is the message to Piastri, amid the fine line between one and two stops. He replies:
"The tyres feel good".
Sharing his own thoughts, Norris says:
"I am much faster, but yeah… dirty air".
By Lap 13, Russell has worked his way back up to 11th, dispatching the Williams, Haas and Alpine drivers, as well as Alonso’s Aston Martin and Bortoleto’s Audi. At the very back, early-stopper Stroll is battling with the Cadillacs of Bottas and Perez. A lap later, the first front-running pit stop of the race is made when Hamilton comes in to swap soft tyres for hards. He rejoins in ninth, just behind Lindblad, but manages to swiftly move past the Racing Bulls rookie with a sweeping overtake around the outside of Turn 5. Verstappen responds on Lap 15, also moving to hards from mediums, and filing back onto the track just behind Hamilton. At the start of the following lap, though, Verstappen surprises Hamilton with a bold pass into Turn 1.
"It is nice action, but it is not right".
Verstappen subsequently comments, seemingly unhappy with Hamilton’s late defence. Piastri and Leclerc both pit on Lap 17, followed by Norris next time around, which in turn releases the yet-to-stop Antonelli and Hadjar. Piastri narrowly holds onto his advantage over Norris at the pit exit, from Verstappen, Hamilton and Leclerc. While Hadjar pits after effectively gluing the front pack together, Antonelli continues for a few more laps.
"He is likely to try a one-stop".
Piastri is told by the McLaren pit wall. But a stop for hards on Lap 22 suggests Antonelli also will be pitting twice. Piastri thus reclaims the lead, but comes under serious pressure from Norris over the next handful of laps. Verstappen gradually falls away in third, from Hamilton, Leclerc and Antonelli, as Russell climbs to seventh before pitting for hards on Lap 28. Amid that action at the front, the day’s first retirement comes when Bottas reports smoke in the cockpit and crawls his way back to the pits. Cadillac confirms shortly afterwards that overheating brakes are the suspected cause. Lap 30 brings the second stop of the day and another set of hards for Hamilton, who has been falling into the clutches of team mate Leclerc - the Monegasque feeling that he is losing valuable time and pushing to do something different strategy-wise. Up front, Piastri gets told to use his pace in response to Hamilton’s stop, to which he replies:
"I don’t really have any".
A second or so behind, Norris, who just survives a wide moment at Turn 4, urges McLaren to let him clear Piastri. He argues:
"I am miles faster".
On Lap 33, Piastri pits for another set of hards, giving Norris some clear air - and a potential chance to build a tyre offset for the final stint. At Ferrari, Hamilton is concerned about his second stop coming too early, asking his engineer:
"Am I going to be in trouble at the end of the race?"
Leclerc stops for the second time on Lap 37, while Norris, Verstappen and Antonelli all plough on. Crucially, Norris is lapping significantly faster than team mate Piastri in this phase, despite the latter’s fresher tyres - opening up a net pit stop. Drama then ensues when Piastri makes contact with Sainz at the exit of Turn 2, while blue flags are in play.
"Get out of the fucking way, you idiot! Oh my God".
Piastri shouts over the radio, as the race continues to shift towards team mate Norris. After making his second stop at the end of Lap 39, Norris has more than enough in hand to rejoin ahead of Piastri, giving him a net race lead. In the meantime, the stewards confirm that the incident between Piastri and Sainz has been put under investigation. As a frustrated Piastri comes to terms with the situation, Verstappen pits again - the Dutchman taking on softs. After asking if that red-marked rubber can make it to the end, he is told about the potential to have some fun in the closing laps.
"Can you advise me a bit more? There is something that feels wrong with the car".
Leclerc asks as the race enters its final 20 laps. While Ferrari looks into the situation, there is definitely something wrong for Perez, who retires with an issue at the front-left of his car. With Antonelli continuing, and being warned about track limits, the big question now is whether the Mercedes man will stop again. That answer follows when he pits on Lap 54 and questions the call. Says his engineer in response:
"We don’t think we have the tyre life".
A couple of laps later, Piastri’s day goes from bad to worse when he encounters a gearbox problem and grinds to a halt. With the VSC deployed to cover the stricken McLaren, Norris, Hamilton and Leclerc all take the opportunity to pit again. As cars filter back out onto the track, Norris retains the lead over Verstappen, Hamilton, Antonelli and Leclerc. Replays then show that Antonelli appears to reach the white line at the end of the start/finish straight before Hamilton, who returns the position. Norris controls proceedings over the final few laps to finish some 15 seconds clear of Verstappen, bagging his first Grand Prix victory as F1 World Champion in the process, while Antonelli holds onto third over Hamilton. Hamilton nonetheless is given a five-second penalty for pit lane speeding, dropping him behind team mate Leclerc at the finish. Behind them, Hadjar places sixth in his Red Bull, and Russell recovers to seventh, having at one point been 19th. Lawson and Lindblad again go wheel-to-wheel in the closing laps – the rookie, like Bortoleto behind him, attempting a one-stop. Lawson’s pace proves too strong in the end, with the New Zealander taking eighth, Hulkenberg also slotting ahead for ninth, and Lindblad crossing the line in 10th. Lando Norris believes that he delivered some of the best pace I’ve ever had on his way to victory in the Hungarian Grand Prix, with the Briton confidently beating Max Verstappen and Kimi Antonelli to the top step. The reigning World Champion started from pole position, but it certainly wasn’t a straightforward journey to the chequered flag as his team mate Oscar Piastri initially snatched the race lead on the opening lap. Norris went wide at Turn 2 and lost the place before growing increasingly frustrated about being stuck behind the Australian, with McLaren eventually giving him the chance to race in clean air when they called Piastri into the pits for his second stop. He immediately executed much faster laps and held the advantage over Piastri once he had boxed again, paving the way for a controlled drive to his first Grand Prix win of the season, especially as the second McLaren retired with a suspected gearbox issue. Reflecting on the opening lap, Norris says:
"I don’t know what happened, to be honest. I just kept losing the rear. I had like three or four big snaps. It felt horrible and of course Oscar did a good job to get the cutback and get back past, so I think I was just a bit wide in the dirt - game over for the first lap. But man, I was pushing like hell to try and force him into a mistake or something. My pace today was probably some of the best pace I’ve ever had. The car was beautiful to drive and I felt very confident, so a great race. To get it back in terms of going long, which is certainly not what I was expecting, but the pace was so good I could always extend the stints, and fresh tyres then always won me the race. I’m just happy to be back and see the number one again".
Although the Woking-based outfit have a superb record at the Hungaroring, with their current line-up achieving 1-2 finishes there over the previous two seasons, Norris admitted earlier in the weekend that he was pleasantly surprised to qualify on pole. He was even more pleased to maximise their significant upgrade package and put them in a strong position heading into the summer break - he now sits just 10 points behind Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in the standings, marking a substantial turnaround from the beginning of the season. Ask whether he can carry the momentum forward when the sport returns for the Dutch Grand Prix, Norris replies:
"I want to believe so. Considering how good it felt today, I certainly want to believe that we can continue it. There are going to be moments where we struggle more, moments that might be even better. We know this track is a good one for us - it’s one of my best-suited tracks of the year. This is maybe as good as it can get for now, but I certainly believe we can still win races. I knew it was coming. Like you said, the team have put so much work in to make a car that can finally win again. It’s nice to be able to do it for them. If we want to come back, we need a lot more of these and we need to continue putting pressure on our competition. This weekend was a perfect weekend for us but it’s going to be tough, so we’ll keep pushing and keep working hard. I owe the team a lot. They’ve done an amazing job to even get back to winning races at this point, so I’m proud. We need to enjoy a good break. We’re all going to enjoy a nice break and some time off, and hopefully we come back even stronger".
Max Verstappen expressed his surprise and satisfaction after coming away from the Hungarian Grand Prix with a P2 finish, having struggled in Qualifying and described his race as one of survival. Verstappen and Red Bull had no answer to the pace of the McLarens, Ferraris and Kimi Antonelli’s Mercedes in Saturday’s grid-deciding session, provisionally leaving him sixth on the grid and with a long Sunday afternoon ahead. However, the Dutchman gained two spots before the race started when Lewis Hamilton and Antonelli were penalised for separate rule breaches, and then jumped to third on the opening lap - ahead of Charles Leclerc. Verstappen expertly defended from the Ferraris across the opening stint, despite complaining of various issues with his car, and after falling behind Hamilton at the first round of stops, he immediately fought back with a late move under braking at Turn 1. From there, Verstappen kept himself firmly in the mix for a podium finish, gaining further ground when Oscar Piastri retired amid gearbox trouble and Hamilton pitted under the subsequent Virtual Safety Car period, and then nursing his ageing soft tyres to the end. Ask if a podium, and second place, was beyond what he and Red Bull were expecting after Qualifying, Verstappen says:
"Yeah, for sure. I didn’t expect to be on the podium today, but we worked hard for it. I think the start was decent to get through at Turn 1 and 2, then after the first stop to get back ahead of Lewis under braking into Turn 1. Then it was just trying to survive on the tyre compounds, trying to make the right calls with strategy as well. I’m very happy to be second here, considering everything".
Verstappen also shared some more thoughts around his decisive overtake on Hamilton early in the race, when both drivers were bedding in sets of hard tyres.
"I saw the opportunity as my only one and I just went for it. We’re good on the brakes, so that helped! It was all under control".
Kimi Antonelli felt that he maximised his opportunities in the tough Hungarian Grand Prix to claim the final spot on the podium, allowing him to increase his lead in the Drivers’ Championship. In a wholly challenging weekend for Mercedes, the Italian wasn’t able to seriously challenge McLaren and Ferrari for pole position and finished P4 in Qualifying, but was demoted to P7 after the stewards handed him a grid drop for a yellow flag infringement.
While it was a stark change from the front-row starts he had come to enjoy, Antonelli risked a different strategy and gained positions as his rivals pitted. He couldn’t match the pace of McLaren and eventually had to complete a second stop after his team decided his tyres wouldn’t last until the end. He then came back into podium contention when other teams risked a stop under Virtual Safety Car conditions, allowing him to improve to P3 and cling on ahead of Lewis Hamilton, whose challenge was neutralised by a time penalty for speeding in the pit lane.
"It was a tough race. It was really hard to overtake, so we had to do something with strategy. Initially we tried to go for the one-stop, but then the team told me that the tyre was too much on the limit, so we stopped. Then we had a Virtual Safety Car and the two Ferraris boxed. I knew it would have been very hard because I was on hards, they were on softs. Luckily we managed to keep them behind".
With a few weeks off before the second part of the season, Mercedes may be concerned by the way they fell behind their competitors at the Hungaroring, especially as George Russell could only manage P7 following a setback caused by anti-stall on the opening lap - though that was a decent recovery effort. However, Antonelli was left satisfied with the result as he outscored both Russell and Hamilton, opening up his advantage in the standings to 50 points over the lead Ferrari, with Russell a further nine points adrift.
"No, not really. Of course I’m very happy - it’s the best way to go into the summer break. I think today was big damage limitation and we’ve got to keep pushing because the second half is going to be hard. We’ll try our best".
Oscar Piastri has admitted everything that could have gone wrong did as he went from challenging for victory in the Hungarian Grand Prix to a painful retirement - via an unusual run-in with Carlos Sainz’s Williams. Piastri started Sunday’s race from third on the grid but charged past Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc off the line, and then pulled a smart cut-back move on McLaren team mate Lando Norris at Turn 2, to take the lead. He continued P1 for the opening half of the race, only for drama to strike shortly after his second pit stop - Piastri having to work his way through a pack of traffic and making contact with Sainz between Turns 2 and 3. That incident, combined with Norris’ rapid pace in clean air, meant Piastri fell behind in the intra-team battle, before his day went from bad to worse with an apparent gearbox failure some 15 laps from the chequered flag.
"Obviously pretty disappointed. I feel like Lap 1 was good, the first stint in general was reasonable, I felt, then I struggled for pace on the hard tyres. The pace was not good, but I had track position, and I felt like even though I was struggling, I could hang on. From that point onwards, pretty much everything that could have gone wrong did".
Asked about his mindset heading into the summer break, given that turbulent afternoon, Piastri added: “I mean, just try and reset, and find some pace.
"On the strategy side, you don’t plan strategy for getting taken out by a backmarker, so… I can’t blame the team at all for that. We’ll just try and improve over the break, have a bit of time to reset, and come back again".
Norris went on to claim victory for McLaren, their first of the 2026 season, while Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli completed the podium in Piastri’s absence. Lewis Hamilton was left to rue a discouraging race day at the Hungarian Grand Prix that saw him settle for P5, with numerous setbacks meaning he couldn’t convert Ferrari’s impressive pace into a better result. The Briton looked as though he would be able to fight for at least a podium after qualifying P2, just 0.012s adrift of Lando Norris’ pole position time, but he received a three-place grid penalty for impeding Oscar Piastri in the final stage of Qualifying.
As a result, he prepared for damage limitation in Sunday’s race and started on soft tyres, which proved to be the best compound for Ferrari as they later struggled to extract performance on their hard sets. Hamilton went on to lose out in a thrilling battle with Max Verstappen before seeming to move back into podium contention following a pit stop under the Virtual Safety Car. However, he had no choice but to allow Kimi Antonelli to pass for P3 in order to avoid being penalised for overtaking under the VSC conditions. His efforts were cancelled out by a five-second time penalty for speeding in the pit lane, and with his team mate Charles Leclerc closing the gap on the final laps, Hamilton dropped to P5 at the chequered flag.
"Obviously frustrated, disappointed to come away with so little, given the car was good. The team did a great job, but ultimately these last few races have been costly with mistakes from myself".
Elaborating on how he views the first half of the season, he add:
"It's been OK. It's not been perfect from my side, so I've really got to work hard to try to figure out how I can do better in the second half".
Leclerc was similarly downbeat as Ferrari failed to capitalise on their early promise at the Hungaroring, with the Monegasque missing out on a third consecutive podium despite starting on the front row. He lost several positions at lights out and later suggested that they should gamble on an alternative strategy, but ultimately joined Hamilton in stopping three times and edged ahead for P4 once the Briton’s penalty was added. Reflecting on the opening lap, Leclerc says:
"I knew it was a critical moment of the race and unfortunately I did the right procedure but for some reason... We all put the settings of the car to a certain place for the grip we expect, and for whatever reason that we need to analyse, we have overestimated the grip that was on the inside. We knew there was a difference between right and left but it was more than what we expected. We need to understand. Friday was particularly positive but I think that Mercedes was just running very low engine modes and then they seemed to be gaining a lot of performance".
George Russell was left to reflect on another dramatic weekend in his rollercoaster 2026 season at the Hungarian Grand Prix, admitting afterwards that the summer break probably couldn’t come at a better time. Russell qualified seventh for Sunday’s race, after an issue at the end of Q3 led to the feeling of a water pistol being sprayed at the tyres and forced him to stop out on track - with Mercedes subsequently carrying out a power unit change. Having gained a spot due to team mate Kimi Antonelli’s penalty for failing to slow sufficiently under yellow flags, Russell had hoped to make an impression on the McLarens, Ferraris and Red Bull of Max Verstappen ahead. However, the Briton’s chances of doing so were dashed almost immediately when he struggled to get away from the grid due to the anti-stall kicking in – and tumbled down the order to 21st position. After a spirited comeback drive, Russell managed to cross the line in seventh position and bag a handful of points, but he once again pondered what might have been in a campaign full of incidents and technical problems.
"I mean, you can’t really make it up at the moment. I’m not sure what happened at the start. I did all my procedures as normal, but the engine just had a bit of a mind of its own, and wasn’t working as expected. The break probably couldn’t come at a better time".
Ask how he is approaching the summer period, Russell add:
"It’s just been a bit of a rollercoaster, you know. It’s really not been a smooth season whatsoever. I don’t really have a mindset – just try and forget about racing for a bit, and try and come back stronger".
Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff was left downbeat after a tough Hungarian Grand Prix weekend, where he admitted that the Silver Arrows were always playing ‘catch up’ against their ever-improving rivals. In the end, championship leader Kimi Antonelli spared the team any blushes with a good drive to third place, while George Russell recovered from a dreadful start to finish seventh. But once again Mercedes encountered problems with their car, with Russell’s failure to get off the line not a driver error.
"As it seems, another problem that happened to George, it looks like he gave about 10% throttle and the whole thing revved maximum. He went off the throttle and it popped down, so I'm really not happy about too many mistakes that happened. So that was the reason, and then he drove very well. He went through the traffic easy and then recovered, I think, the maximum points that he could have recovered".
Russell’s issue was not the only thing that went wrong for Mercedes in Budapest. Having opted to give Antonelli’s seat to Fred Vesti in FP1, the Italian was left short of lap time from there on in. Combined with the tricky track conditions, neither Antonelli nor Russell were able to find a set-up that could fully exploit the pace of the car. Antonelli was still the more competitive of the duo and initially qualified fourth, but was then handed a three-place grid drop for failing to slow sufficiently under yellow flags at the end of Q3. Russell also had issues, suffering a water leak in Qualifying that required an change of components, and it remains to be seen whether that issue can be fixed or if he has lost an engine from his pool of parts.
"I think the whole weekend we didn't… it wasn't great. Missing FP1 certainly was not perfect. We got the set-ups not 100% right and it was always a catch-up game that we had all weekend, and then going back yesterday in the Quali, George's engine programme. So, if you would have told me before the race that we can have a podium with Kimi, I would have said I'll take it immediately. But now you're looking back, the prevailing feeling is that we should have done better. We were unlucky with the VSC again, that could have been a P2 [for Antonelli]. If we would have had a fault-free week, I think we would have fought for the victory or at least two cars on the podium. You can't fault the drivers today. Kimi's defence on the hard against Lewis [Hamilton] on the soft was brilliant driving. And the same with George. I think he cleared 10 cars at the beginning, through the traffic, when we knew it was going to be very difficult. So, drivers today were really doing a good job".
Mercedes have already been beaten this year, by Lewis Hamilton in Barcelona-Catalunya, and by Charles Leclerc at Silverstone. But in both races they were in the hunt for the win – which was never the case in Budapest, hence Wolff's less than satisfied demeanour. Nonetheless, one big positive is that Antonelli remains in the lead of the Drivers' Championship, and despite all the difficulties in Hungary actually extended his advantage over his rivals. He has a 50-point advantage over Hamilton, and a 59-point lead over Russell. Mercedes remain in command of the Teams’ Championship, 72-points ahead of Ferrari.