2025 Hungarian Grand Prix Recap

By Ryan Wu

In qualifying, both Williams and Haas were eliminated early, ending their hopes for a strong starting position. Charles Leclerc claimed pole position with an impressive lap, while the McLaren duo followed closely behind — Oscar Piastri secured second place with Norris in third.

The ‘Papaya Pair’ Reigns Again

At the start of the race, Charles Leclerc managed to hold onto his pole starting position, while Oscar Piastri maintained second place. Lando Norris, however, dropped back to fifth after just two turns. George Russell capitalized on the opening laps and climbed up to third. By lap three, Norris used DRS to overtake Fernando Alonso to reclaim fourth.

As the race unfolded, incidents began to stack up. By lap 23, Nico Hülkenberg was under investigation for a false start, for which he was assessed a five-second penalty. Four laps later, Russell had a near miss with Alonso. On lap 29, drama struck when Max Verstappen forced Lewis Hamilton off the track while taking the inside line on a sweeping turn. Hamilton recovered but lost a position in the process.

The McLarens and Leclerc remained in the fight for the top three for much of the race, with Russell and Alonso staying close behind. Then on lap 51, Piastri pulled off a stunning overtake on Leclerc around the outside, showing off superior grip and confidence.

Frustration was clearly mounting in the Ferrari camp, as Leclerc grew increasingly upset with the car's performance, stating, “It’s a miracle if we finish on the podium”. It was revealed after the race that the Ferrari was dealing with a chassis issue which resulted in a marked loss of pace.

The tension escalated further on lap 62 when Russell made a bold move to pass Leclerc. Despite Leclerc moving under braking for the second consecutive lap to defend, Russell got through — and Leclerc was handed a five-second penalty for his actions. Fortunately for him, the penalty didn’t affect his final position, as he had built enough of a gap to Alonso, who finished fifth. The battle for third had truly been one of the race’s highlights.

The closing laps brought even more drama. A fierce battle for the win unfolded between the two McLaren drivers. On the final lap, Piastri attempted a move on Norris, but a well-timed lock-up from Norris inadvertently blocked the challenge and secured his victory. With that, McLaren celebrated their 200th race win as a team, and the Championship battle tightened — the gap now stands at just nine points.

Rookie Report

Gabriel Bortoleto had an amazing drive in Budapest as he secured his highest ever finish in Formula One. This now makes it back-to-back points finishes for the Brazilian Driver. He finished one place behind his manager/mentor Fernando Alonso, P6.

Liam Lawson also finished in the top 10 and ironically directly ahead of his brief teammate Max Verstappen, he was followed by Kimi Antonelli in 10th as the last rookie to be in the top 10 in Hungary

Racing Refresh Driver of the Day

Lando Norris, McLaren

Final Points Finishing Positions

1st: Lando Norris

2nd: Oscar Piastri

3rd: George Russell

4th: Charles Leclerc

5th: Fernando Alonso

6th: Gabriel Bortoleto

7th: Lance Stroll

8th: Liam Lawson

9th: Max Verstappen

10th: Kimi Antonelli

Next on the F1 Schedule:

Dutch Grand Prix: August 29th-31st