Hungarian Grand Prix Review: F1’s Twisting Title Fight, Ferrari Frustrations, and McLaren Momentum

The 2025 Formula 1 season continues to defy expectations, with the Hungarian Grand Prix delivering another dramatic twist before the summer break. As McLaren strengthens its challenge, Ferrari stumbles with unexplained problems, Red Bull faces rare vulnerabilities, and several teams confront development dilemmas. Here’s a full breakdown of everything we learned at the Hungaroring.

Ferrari’s One That Got Away

Charles Leclerc’s loss in Hungary may go down as his biggest “what if” of the 2025 season. Starting from pole position, he appeared poised to finally secure his first victory of the year. Instead, a mysterious performance drop derailed his race, turning a potential win into a fourth-place finish.

Leclerc initially believed a pit stop adjustment to his front wing had sabotaged his pace, but Ferrari later clarified the issue was unrelated — a technical problem that remains under investigation. The result was a painful two-second-per-lap drop in pace and the loss of what Leclerc called his “one opportunity” to win this season.

Ferrari team boss Fred Vasseur urged caution, citing Leclerc’s pole position and recent podium at Spa as signs of genuine progress. Whether this was a freak incident or a deeper issue, such as the return of Ferrari’s infamous plank wear problem, will be critical to their second-half campaign.

McLaren: Strategic Freedom Breeds Success

Lando Norris claimed his fifth victory of the season in Hungary, executing a bold alternate strategy that ultimately paid dividends. His one-stop plan, discussed pre-race, contrasted with Oscar Piastri’s two-stop — a choice that didn’t pan out despite being the team’s default preference.

This strategic divergence isn’t just allowed at McLaren — it’s encouraged. The team promotes flexibility and driver initiative, which could become a defining factor in a tightly contested title fight. As Norris’s comeback closes the gap to Piastri to just nine points, McLaren’s culture of trust and risk-taking appears to be reaping rewards.

Red Bull’s Medium-Speed Misery

For the first time in recent memory, Red Bull entered a Grand Prix weekend on the defensive. The Hungaroring’s medium-speed corners exposed the RB20’s Achilles’ heel — lack of grip in low-to-mid-speed turns. Max Verstappen never looked like a podium contender, qualifying eighth and finishing ninth in what team principal Laurent Mekies called a season-low performance.

The Red Bull team was baffled by its lack of pace, with Verstappen lamenting how McLaren was “killing us” in medium-speed sections. It’s a troubling admission from the reigning champions and suggests that McLaren’s technical package now has the upper hand on circuits where agility and downforce rule.

Mercedes Bins Its Upgrade Gamble

Mercedes achieved its first podium in four races thanks to George Russell’s third-place finish, but the real story was the abandonment of a major suspension upgrade first introduced at Imola. The system had been intermittently deployed throughout the summer, but was finally scrapped in Hungary after being deemed more harmful than helpful.

Team boss Toto Wolff didn’t mince words, saying the upgrade was “going in the bin.” Its removal not only boosted Russell’s performance but also helped rookie Kimi Antonelli regain confidence after a string of difficult races. While Antonelli’s 10th-place finish didn’t reflect his improved comfort, it offered hope that the second half of the season could yield more consistent performances — albeit without any more major upgrades planned.

Aston Martin’s Puzzling Surge

Aston Martin went from dead last at Spa to best-of-the-rest in Hungary, finishing fifth (Alonso) and seventh (Stroll). While the team enjoyed its strongest weekend of the season, no one — including Fernando Alonso — could explain why.

A new front wing may have contributed, but Alonso was skeptical that it alone could account for such a massive leap. The high-downforce Hungaroring layout undoubtedly played to the AMR25’s strengths, but the magnitude of the improvement was unexpected. If the team can figure out what made the difference, it could become a serious midfield disruptor again.

Sala’s Tactical ‘Joker’ Pays Off

One of the standout performances came from rookie Gabriel Bortoleto, who finished a career-best sixth for Sala Racing. His weekend turnaround was partly due to a gutsy call from the team to break curfew on Friday night, using one of its two “joker” allowances for extra working hours.

Bortoleto had struggled in practice, describing himself as “zero comfortable.” But the team stayed late to sort out the car’s reliability and balance issues, and Bortoleto rewarded that effort with a near-flawless race — including solid defense against Verstappen and a chase of mentor Fernando Alonso. His third points finish in four races suggests he’s becoming a serious talent to watch.

Tsunoda: Progress Hidden by Position

Yuki Tsunoda’s result — 17th place — doesn’t tell the full story. In Hungary, he was closer to Verstappen’s pace than ever before and even went faster than him in practice. Unfortunately, poor qualifying and a pit lane start due to an engine change left him mired in traffic. Damage during the race sealed his fate.

Still, Red Bull’s management chose to focus on the positives, praising Tsunoda’s speed rather than the result. The performance data suggests Tsunoda continues to improve, even if race day chaos keeps masking it.

Hamilton’s Ferrari Frustrations Boil Over

For Lewis Hamilton, Hungary was a reality check. Missing Q3 by just 0.015 seconds while teammate Leclerc took pole highlighted the chasm in performance. Post-qualifying, Hamilton dramatically suggested Ferrari might need to change drivers — a comment fueled more by emotion than logic.

After another lackluster race, Hamilton seemed more disheartened than during his worst days at Mercedes. His move to Ferrari was meant to be a fresh start, but familiar struggles with car setup and confidence have resurfaced. His tendency to self-criticize in tough moments has returned too, leading to concerns that the partnership might not deliver the revitalization he hoped for.

Williams: Holding On for Dear Life

Williams’ upward trajectory took a hit in Hungary. A pointless weekend coincided with rivals Sauber and Aston Martin closing the gap in the Constructors’ Championship. Alex Albon, who finished 15th, admitted the team is now in “defensive mode” to protect fifth place overall.

The Silverstone upgrade has improved the car, but Hungary highlighted Williams’ continued issues with balance in high-downforce setups. With no more upgrades planned post-break, the team must now rely on clean execution and consistency to hold its position — even as others improve around them.

Alpine’s Mistake-Riddled Outing

Franco Colapinto finally outqualified Pierre Gasly and made Q2 — a notable achievement in an uncompetitive Alpine. Yet, his weekend fell apart due to two long pit stops and early race errors, leaving him with little to show for his progress.

Still, Colapinto saw positives. His pace relative to Gasly was strong, and his technical feedback has improved. But Alpine’s operational mistakes, compounded by a lack of pace, leave the team at the bottom of a growing pile in the midfield war.

Conclusion: A Season on a Knife-Edge

The 2025 F1 season has been anything but predictable. McLaren’s flexibility, Red Bull’s vulnerability, Ferrari’s inconsistencies, and Mercedes’ development missteps have created a dynamic, multi-team battle.

With the summer break now in effect, the title fight remains wide open. Strategic risk-taking, upgrade efficiency, and internal driver dynamics are likely to determine who comes out on top — and who’s left wondering what might have been.

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