ROUND 14: 🇭🇺 Hungary
FORMULA 1 LENOVO HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX 2025
Circuit stats
- First Grand Prix: 1986
- Number of laps: 70
- Circuit Length: 4.381 km
- Race Distance: 306.63 km
- Lap record: 1:16.627 Lewis Hamilton (2020)
- 2024 winner: Oscar Piastri
Track Map
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Not a very serious note, but it got to the news that some creative people tried to get a free ticket by going full Shawshank:
I’m surprised by how many drivers went for a one-stop and I feel like some drivers and teams were surprised as well, starting with Hamilton. I’m pretty sure he was hoping for drivers in front of him to go for two-stop, but unfortunately for him that wasn’t the case.
I also wonder whether Leclerc would have had a better result if he went for a one-stop, though I understand he had setup issues, which definitely did not help either.
That was a pretty good race, bit of a slow burn but we got a really tense few laps at the end with Piastri chasing and Norris holding off - with direct championship implications to boot. Despite the usual lap one from Norris he recovered really well, though perhaps aided by ending up on the more favourable one-stop strategy. It was a good audible from the team and well driven by Norris to bring it home.
I always like when all three compounds are in play, though starting on the softs today maybe wasn’t really the play. It was interesting seeing the strategy split, and lots of teams seemed to fail to identify the one-stop.
Alonso drove a really good race, good start and great race management with both being the train conductor early on and saving tires to managing his pace throughout the last stint. There was nothing more than 5th on the table today and the team did everything they could to secure it.
Also good on Stroll for bringing home 7th, though overtaking is hard enough here that he just needed to not make any major mistakes and ride the correct strategy home. Both him and Alonso laid the groundwork yesterday in qualy, but fair play to them nonetheless. The Aston did seem really suited to this track, but I hope the team learns something from it.
I feel for Leclerc, he had a genuine shot at a win - but of course his Ferrari has an issue with the chassis and started bleeding performance. Time to post the depressed Leclerc meme again, I guess? Though at the moment it’s a depression competition with Hamilton.
Good race by Russel picking up the scraps though, again in the colder temperatures the Merc looks better and even Antonelli had a bit of a recovery drive too getting a point in the end. Probably not enough to give him his confidence back but it’s a spark of life?
Special shout-out to Colapinto who got omega-fucked by some AlpineTM pitstops. Poor guy, his pace wasn’t even bad.
I want to give DotD to Alonso but that could be my bias.
We need post race interviews with team strategists after important, win-affecting calls like that.
As usual great write up!
Love your write up. For the DotD yeah I’m with you for Alonso. Not sure who got it today actually.
Bortoleto got it.
I hope Hamilton can bounce back. he felt beaten up in the post race interview.
He’s done.
He’s more done than Ricciardo was when he was done.
He needs to retire. All he does anymore is give people headaches. And headaches are bad.
There is one last sliver of copium remaining for Hamilton and his fans: the regulation change. He has never been able to get along with these ground effect cars. Now, that in and of itself should be a point of criticism: other drivers have adapted their driving style and Lewis has been unable or unwilling to do so. But there is still a small chance next year’s regs will suit him better. The move to Ferrari was always a play for '26.
Now if he still struggles next year then… Hoo boy.
Talking to Lewis fanboys is like talking to maga idiots. No amount of failure is going to make them realize he’s lost it and the negative comments are valid. Every time he fails to be beat his teammate, fails to quali well, there is an excuse. Even if he sucks in 2026 we’re going to be getting excuses and denials.
I think If anything we are likely to see more of the current grid struggle with next year’s cars based on what I’ve heard about how “weird” they’re going to be to drive. Logically I kinda expect the rookies to move closer since all are in the same boat.
Disclaimer, I don’t really fully understand the new regs so if anyone has a good comprehensive video link or anything that would be cool
It always amazed me after 300km that the gap is less than a sec at the end. It was a cool race to watch.
This is less mindblowing than the qualifying times for me. The race is never flat out, all the positions are relative so it’s less surprising that someone would be 1 second back. It’s literally what they’ve planned for.
I know they plan for it and work for that but still it is very impressive.
I was impressed with Lando’s driving at the end. Even if they weren’t playing “full contact” holding off Piastri on those tires took perfect driving.
