Five takeaways: Hungarian Grand Prix

Written by Elaina Russell

The Hungaroring is a fan favorite for many | Credit: Formula 1

The 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix had everything: title drama, strategic brinkmanship, redemption arcs, and a Red Bull collapse that’s starting to feel systemic. As the grid heads into its summer shutdown, the paddock leaves Budapest with more questions than answers–and a championship fight very much alive.

Here are five key takeaways from race day at the Hungaroring:

1. The McLaren war is no longer a cold one

What began as mutual admiration is now a full-blooded title scrap. Lando Norris took victory number five with a one-stop masterclass, holding off a charging Oscar Piastri by the narrowest of margins. Piastri, more clinical on a two-stop, came agonizingly close—locking up late while attempting a decisive move.

They crossed the line in formation, but beneath the surface, the championship tension is reaching a boiling point. Piastri leads the standings by nine points heading into the break. Norris has momentum. The atmosphere? Getting tighter by the week.

Lewis Hamilton will be happy to see a break in his schedule | Credit: Formula One

2. The prancing horse seems to have a limp

Charles Leclerc secured pole and looked poised to end Ferrari’s year-long Grand Prix drought. But hopes unraveled lap by lap as a chassis issue sapped his pace and left him defenseless in the closing stages. He finished P4–commendable, but nowhere near what he or the Tifosi would have been wanting.

It’s a now-familiar story in Maranello. The tools are there. The drivers are capable. But in a season where execution is everything, Ferrari keeps dropping the ball. There’s only so much heartbreak a contender can take.

3. Mercedes shows signs of life–and so does Russell

George Russell finished P3. More importantly, it looks as though speculation for his future finished this weekend. The Brit ran a disciplined race, smart on tyres and sharp in traffic. The podium couldn’t have come at a better time–contract talks are on the horizon and despite media and as we’ve seen in past years, silly season is not to be ignored.

Behind him, Kimi Antonelli grabbed his first point since Canada. A quiet but confidence-building P10 for the rookie. For a team with more questions than answers this season, Budapest offered something rare: stability.

Aston Martin enjoyed a stellar weekend at the Hungaroring | Credit: Formula One

4. Aston Martin bounce back big

Hungary was a turning point for Aston Martin. Fernando Alonso returned from injury to finish P5. Lance Stroll followed him home in P7. Their best combined finish of the season and a vital boost after hitting rock bottom at Spa.

Alonso returned from injury and immediately reminded the grid why he remains a top-tier threat in any machinery that listens. “We really needed this,” he said. They did–and it might spark the reset Aston’s season so desperately needed.

5. Red Bull are nowhere–again

Two points. That’s all Red Bull scored in Budapest.

Max Verstappen labored to P9, never looking hooked up and spending much of his race battling the car more than rivals. A turn four dive on Lewis Hamilton brought stewards’ attention, but the bigger red flag is strategic and mechanical instability. “No grip,” Verstappen said. “Just struggling a lot.”

Yuki Tsunoda finished 17th–his seventh straight race without points. In a year full of questions about the car, the lineup, and internal cohesion, Hungary may be the lowest ebb yet.

Looking ahead

The paddock breaks for summer with everything still to play for. Piastri leads the championship, but Norris is circling. McLaren is dominant–but Ferrari, Mercedes, and Aston are sniffing around. Red Bull? They’re rebuilding at best, rudderless at worst.

Zadvoort comes next. A lion’s den for Verstappen, but one where he’s no longer guaranteed to roar.