Formula One Gradebook: Hungarian Grand Prix

Norris with the winner’s trophy for the 2026 Hungarian Grand Prix | Credit: Formula One

For the final race in the first half of the 2026 season, Formula One returned to the infamous Hungaroring for the Hungarian Grand Prix. Known as ‘Monaco without the walls’ for the precision and attention that it demands from all the drivers, it is not a track known for its overtaking but rather an opportunity for teams to battle it out with alternative strategies.

Taking to the top step for the first time as the reigning world champion, McLaren’s Lando Norris left the rest of the grid floundering as he crossed the line almost 15 seconds ahead of second-place. Becoming the fifth different race winner in the last five races. This is the first circuit that Norris has taken a repeat victory at and he became the first pole-sitter to convert that into a race win in Budapest since 2020.

However, headlines were dominated by the incident between Norris’ current and former teammates and the disappointing showings from Ferrari and Mercedes. With Racing Bulls making their way past Alpine in the World Constructors’ Championship standings, the battle in the midfield seems closer than ever. Here’s how all 22 drivers performed on race day:

Mercedes

George Russell: B

The weekend began with difficulties for one of this year’s championship hopefuls after a water pump issue in qualifying meant that he was unable to complete his final flying lap and he was forced to take an unplanned and additional power-unit. These issues were followed up by a terrible start when Russell’s car went into anti-stall and caused him to drop from sixth to 21st on the grid. 

During the race, Russell made his way past the backmarkers with ease; this was somewhat a given considering the pace advantage that the Mercedes has over the other teams. In the end, Russell crossed the line in seventh and managed to salvage some points from his afternoon but not enough to change the current standings in the championship. After the summer break, the British driver will have to find a way to out-perform both drivers ahead of him to stay within contention for the title this season.

Kimi Antonelli: A-

Antonelli recorded nine podium finishes in the first 11 races of 2026 | Credit: Formula One

After a qualifying of incredibly close margins, Antonelli’s race was made harder before it had even started with a three-place grid penalty due to failing to follow yellow flag procedures. Starting from seventh having been dropped from fourth, the Italian driver’s race got off to a decent start as he made his way into sixth with his teammate dropping to the back of the grid. 

During the race, it seems as though Antonelli’s team were considering the one stop strategy which guaranteed the win last year however ultimately they decided against this as, according to his race engineer, the tyres had begun to lose life.

When the Virtual Safety Car was called, Antonelli was one of the few drivers to have stayed out on the basis that he had only come in a few laps prior and was able to retain his podium position of third. At the end of the first half of this season, Antonelli has recorded nine podiums in the first 11 races and his lead in the championship standings is secured by 50 points. 

Ferrari

Charles Leclerc: B+

Despite Ferrari being seen as the favourites coming into this weekend, it was an unfortunate showing for both drivers with neither one finishing on the podium. Having inherited a front-row start, his third in the last four races, Ferrari’s strategy of starting the Monegasque driver on the soft tyre revealed they were going aggressive to try and challenge for the win. However, a difficult start for Leclerc saw him lose positions on the opening lap and left him out of synch with the other drivers. 

Settling into fifth position having been overtaken by a McLaren, a Red Bull and his teammate on the opening lap, Leclerc seemed unable to make an impression on the cars ahead and came in for his first pit-stop on lap 17.

On a track where the undercut is powerful, Leclerc was able to close the gap to his teammate ahead with his early stop but was not able to pass him. In the closing stages of the race, the Monegasque driver was concerned over the condition of his car but with nothing revealed, and his teammate’s penalty applied, he crossed the line in fourth.

Lewis Hamilton: B

Ferrari failed to demonstrate the pace expected of them this weekend | Credit: Formula One

On a track where Hamilton has reigned victorious in the past, it was a less than ideal weekend for the seven-time former world champion. With a gap of 0.012s separating him and pole position, it seemed that Ferrari were set to challenge in the race but Hamilton’s plans were derailed after he was given a three-place grid penalty for impeding during qualifying and was told to line up in fifth instead.

When the five lights went out, the British driver made his way past his teammate and a Red Bull as well, briefly making contact with the latter in a sequence of close racing. Hamilton, also on the soft tyres, made better use of them compared to Leclerc but failed to utilise them to the maximum. 

Throughout the race, it was back and forth between the two Ferraris including just ahead of the second pit-stop window. When the VSC was called, Hamilton came into the pit-lane for a third stop and although he seemed ready to battle Antonelli for the final podium position, he was forced to give the position back to avoid being penalised for overtaking before the white line.

Things went from bad to worse after the British driver was noted for speeding in the pit-lane and a five-second penalty was applied to his race, dropping him behind Leclerc and into fifth. 

McLaren 

Lando Norris: A+

Taking his first race win as world champion, Norris did not put a foot wrong this weekend and was on the pace from Saturday onwards. Having qualified on pole with his final flying lap of the session, the reigning world champion was able to start the race well however quickly lost out on position to his teammate behind. Despite running in the dirty air, Norris’ lap-times remained impressive which he remarked on his radio to his race engineer.

In delaying his second stop in favour of tyre advantage later in the race and demonstrating a considerable pace advantage over his teammate, Norris put himself in the perfect position to capitalise on any misfortunes that would allow him to take the race lead. With Norris released into clean air after his second stop, it was not long until he had jumped Piastri in the pit-lane and passed Antonelli on track to go on and take the win by 15 seconds. 

Oscar Piastri: A-

Norris celebrating McLaren’s first win of 2026 with the team | Credit: Formula One

It was not the easiest of starts to the weekend for the Australian who qualified in fifth. After an excellent race start which saw him take the lead from Norris before the end of the opening lap, Piastri held on at the front but was unable to build a gap behind him due to his teammates’ pace. Despite Norris’ pace, the Australian driver managed to keep a hold of the lead however things soon fell apart after his second stop. 

Being called in earlier than his teammate, in accordance with the infamous ‘papaya rules’, Piastri was released out into traffic of backmarkers including the likes of Williams and Aston Martin. When going to pass Carlos Sainz under blue flags, the two banged wheels and this subsequently meant that Piastri lost valuable time. Despite the contact, the Australian driver continued and seemed set for a podium finish however on Lap 56, he was forced to pull over and retire due to a gearbox issue. 

Red Bull

Max Verstappen: A

Despite all the issues that Verstappen was discussing on the radio with his race engineer, it was still an incredibly strong showing from the four-time world champion. With a strong start in the race, battling with the Ferraris from fourth, Verstappen’s race was dominated by his battles with Hamilton. From the moment that the two drivers made contact on the opening lap of the race, Verstappen and Hamilton were not far from each other. 

Although the Dutch driver had been undercut, he emerged from his own pit-stop not too far behind Hamilton and ultimately passed him with one of the overtakes of the race. With the Red Bull pitwall deciding to swap Verstappen onto the soft compound tyres for his final stint, he struggled in the latter stages of the race but choosing to stay out rather than pit under VSC conditions guaranteed his second-place finish. 

Isack Hadjar: B+

Verstappen celebrating another podium this season | Credit: Formula One

After another solid race start, a clear improvement from the young driver in his first season at the senior team, Hadjar was making decent progress. Although his pace on the medium tyres left much to be desired, he was crucial in holding up rival drivers for his teammate around the time of the pit-stops. 

After his second pit-stop and his switch onto the hard tyres as opposed to the soft tyres his teammate had, his pace dramatically improved. In the end, Hadjar crossed the line in sixth with minimal issues. With this result, Hadjar now has seven top-six finishes so far this season and Red Bull finally seem to have found the partner for Verstappen that they have been searching for. 

Haas

Ollie Bearman: C

It was a quiet and lonely race for the Haas driver who struggled with pace and tyre degradation over the 70 laps. After a difficult start and a lack of pace to counter the issues caused by traffic ahead, Bearman’s afternoon continued to get worse when he was given a five-second time penalty for ignoring blue flags. 

Even with following the expected two-stop strategy, Bearman managed to briefly spin off the track due to a lack of grip as the Haas looked like a difficult car to drive this weekend. In the end, the British driver came home as the last of the finishers in 19th. 

Esteban Ocon: C

Haas will be hoping that their upcoming upgrade package will bring them back into midfield contention | Credit: Formula One

On the other side of the Haas garage, things were only slightly more optimistic as Ocon’s start briefly put him in touch with the top 10 however he slowly slid back down the order as the pace in the Haas faded away. Like Bearman, the two-stop strategy was chosen as tyre degradation caused further issues for the French driver.

Ultimately, Ocon crossed the line in 16th after a quiet race compared to his teammate. There can be no doubt that everyone at Haas, including the two drivers most of all, will be awaiting the next upgrade package in the hopes that it will change their fortunes. 

Racing Bulls

Arvid Lindblad: A

As the only Racing Bulls driver to reach Q3 this weekend, Lindblad was already set for a good weekend as the car was also showing strong pace. However, despite a decent start, Lindblad was caught out by his teammate and so dropped behind the other Racing Bulls car. With the pace of the Audis keeping both Lindblad and Lawson company this weekend, the team opted to split strategies and committed the rookie driver to a one-stop. 

While he was able to gain on track position with the one-stop, it left him vulnerable in the closing stages of the race especially with other midfield cars opting to pit again under VSC conditions. In the end, Lindblad was able to hang on to the final points position in tenth and rounded off the first half of his maiden season with a success. This result means that Lindblad has seven consecutive points finishes and eight points-finishes in total.

Liam Lawson: A

Racing Bulls have scored double points on five occasions so far in 2026 | Credit: Formula One

Although qualifying did not go Lawson’s way as he failed to reach Q3, he was able to counter the effects of his starting position with an impressive race start and opening lap. Having made his way past his teammate with relative ease, Lawson established himself as the quicker driver of the two and made quick work of getting involved in the midfield battle.

Where Lindblad was committed to a one-stop strategy, Racing Bulls put Lawson on the two-stop strategy to effectively battle with the Audi pair. With the second stop leaving Lawson plenty to do to make his way back into the points, his pace meant that it was relatively easy for him to find himself as the top of the midfield runners when he finished eighth. Another double points finish sees Racing Bulls move into fifth in the WCC standings, five points ahead of Alpine.

Audi

Gabriel Bortoleto: B+

Starting in 14th, points were the optimistic target for Bortoleto this weekend however the pace of the Audi meant that there was plenty of reason to be hopeful. As one of the few cars to start on the soft tyre, the choices in terms of strategy for the team were plenty. 

To respond to Racing Bulls and their decision to split strategies, Audi followed suit with Bortoleto committed to the one-stop. Running an incredibly extended first stint on the soft compound tyres, Bortoleto struggled in the end against Lindblad ahead and was unable to find a way past the Racing Bulls. In the end, Bortoleto crossed the line in 11th but less than a second separated him and the car ahead. 

Nico Hulkenberg: A

Hulkenberg scored his first points of the season in the 11th round of the season | Credit: Formula One

In a similar situation to Racing Bulls, only one Audi driver made it into Q3 and on this occasion, it was Hulkenberg ahead of his teammate. Having qualified in 10th, keeping in touch with the other front-runners was key and he was able to do that effectively. While Bortoleto committed to the one-stop, Hulkenberg’s side of the garage committed to the two stop after an impressive opening stint on the medium tyres.

In the end, the German driver battled with Lawson as his teammate battled with Lindblad behind. Finally, after plenty of close calls in the first half of the season including multiple 11th place finishes, Hulkenberg crossed the line in the top 10 and scored his first points of the season. With this result, Audi have now scored points for three consecutive races and seem to have overcome their difficulties from the early stages of the season. 

Alpine

Pierre Gasly: B-

It was a difficult weekend on both sides of the Alpine garage with neither car reaching Q3 or finishing in the top 10. Gasly, starting the race in 12th, knew from the offset that the car did not have the pace to be challenging for points with the likes of Racing Bulls and Audi ahead. In the opening stages of the race, the French driver failed to make an impression on any of the cars around him. 

As one of the few drivers who opted for a three-stop race after coming in under VSC conditions, Gasly was still unable to turn his fortunes around and ultimately crossed the line in 12th. Speaking after the race, he confirmed that: “we know we have new parts coming and we hope the upgrades bring the performance we’re hoping for [...] otherwise it will make our lives difficult if we’re to retake fifth in the championship”.

Franco Colapinto: B-

Gasly had his third points-less finish so far this season | Credit: Formula One

On the other side of the Alpine garage, things were not much easier with Colapinto dealing with a worse starting position of 13th and dealing with a pace deficit compared to his teammate. Having struggled in the opening laps, Colapinto fell out of synch with the cars around him and in his own words “never really recovered”.

After a relatively quiet race, Alpine opted to keep Colpinto out under VSC conditions and he ultimately crossed the line in 15th. With their points-less finish, Alpine fell in the championship standings as they were overtaken by Racing Bulls who recorded another double-points finish. The gap between the two teams currently sits at 5 points. 

Williams

Carlos Sainz: C-

Involved in one of the most talked-about moments of the weekend, Sainz had a far from quiet weekend although his on-track performance left little to be discussed. Having out-qualified his teammate for the ninth time so far this season, the teams opted to split strategies with the Spanish driver on the soft tyres to start with. 

The defining moment of Sainz’s race came when Piastri emerged back onto track after his second pit-stop. Dealing with traffic, the two cars banged wheels as Piastri tried to make his way past Sainz to lap the latter. For the incident, the Spanish driver was given a 5-second time penalty which derailed the rest of his race. When the chequered flag was waved, Sazin crossed the line in 18th.  

Alex Albon: C

Albon celebrated a team milestone with Williams | Credit: Formula One

On the occasions of 100 races with the team, there’s no doubt that Albon would have been hoping for a more successful showing compared to what he got. Starting the race on medium tyres, the team committed Albon to the two-stop strategy early, however the lack of pace meant that he was limited to what he could achieve. 

Effectively running his own race for a large majority of the 70 laps, Sunday’s running turned into a data collection session for the team who will be hoping that their next round of upgrades will bring more performance. Albon, who fared better than his teammate, crossed the line in 17th for another points-less finish. 

Cadillac

Sergio Perez: C-

Having started from the pit-lane after the team opted for set-up changes made after qualifying, Perez had a quiet afternoon. After initially struggling in the first stint of the race, reporting that something felt off in the car, the car seemed to have settled after the first pit-stop.

However, Perez’s comfort in the car was quickly undone when an issue on the front-suspension brought an early end to his weekend. On Lap 48, the Mexican driver came into the pit-lane and was wheeled back into his garage as the second retirement of the race.

Valtteri Bottas: C-

Another weekend to forget for the American outfit who will be hoping to come back stronger after the summer break | Credit: Formula One

In a similar vein to Perez’s misfortunes this weekend, Bottas also encountered his own mechanicals woes with a fourth DNF in six races. Having already qualified behind the heavily-upgraded Aston Martin, Cadillac appeared to be on the backfoot even after the success of their own upgrade package only a few rounds ago. 

On Lap 15, an issue from earlier in the season reappeared when Bottas’ brakes caught fire and he was forced back into the pit-lane to retire. With Perez subsequently withdrawing from the race as well, this marked the team’s second double-retirement since the Austrian Grand Prix.

Aston Martin

Fernando Alonso: B+

Based on the performance of the two-time former world champion this weekend, there can be no doubt that the long awaited upgrade package has finally sent the team in the right direction. Having reached Q2 for the first time this season, Alonso was also able to run in the top 10 for the first time this season as well. 

Having started in 16th, Alonso’s progression up the field and successfully seeing the chequered flags would have been the main aims for the team this weekend. Getting involved in a few battles, including with Sainz who Alonso ultimately beat out, proved that the potential in the car is slowly being unlocked. In the end, Alonso crossed the line in 13th and gave the impression that there’s still plenty more to come for the team. 

Lance Stroll: C+

Aston Martin enjoyed their most successful outing of the season in Hungary | Credit: Formula One

Although Stroll was not able to reach Q2, the upgrades brought him performance during the race even if it has not translated into single-lap pace yet. With an alternative strategy choice by not running the hard tyre altogether, and the bold choice to undercut his teammate who was faster, Stroll and the team showed they still have what it takes to go racing. Ultimately, the Canadian driver crossed the line in 14th, one position behind Alonso. 

There’s no doubt that the team still is not where they’d like to be but this upgrade package is a significant improvement to where they were before. With Honda expecting to bring an engine upgrade in time for the Dutch Grand Prix, there may be yet another change in the team’s fortunes. 

Looking Ahead

With the first half of the season complete, all 11 teams will be heading into the summer shut-down period with lots of data to analyse and plans for upgrades and improvements over the course of the rest of the season. Returning in four weeks time for the Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort, both championship battles will continue until the final chequered flag of the season.