Lando Norris triumphed over Oscar Piastri, securing a McLaren one-two finish at the Hungarian Grand Prix and reducing the points gap between the two drivers in the championship standings to nine.
Formula 1 now enters its summer break, with racing set to resume at Zandvoort for the Dutch Grand Prix from August 29-31.
Following the race at the Hungaroring, BBC Sport’s F1 correspondent Andrew Benson addresses your pressing questions.
Will McLaren harbor concerns that the intense competition could strain the relationship between its drivers, particularly after Oscar Piastri’s repeated attempts to overtake Lando Norris? If so, what steps can they take to maintain harmony within the team? – Jake
McLaren expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the Hungarian Grand Prix, viewing it as a demonstration of their philosophy regarding intra-team rivalry.
Drivers are permitted to race each other, provided they maintain fairness, which includes exploring divergent strategies to gain an advantage.
This was evident in Lando Norris’s approach in Hungary. After a challenging start that saw him drop to fifth, Norris mounted a comeback.
He and his engineer, Will Joseph, opted for a one-stop strategy, which was not initially considered a primary option. This decision secured him track position over Piastri for the final stint, which he executed flawlessly.
McLaren aimed to provide Piastri with the best possible opportunity to challenge Norris, granting him a significant tire advantage, even at the expense of track position to Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.
Despite Piastri’s efforts, he was unable to surpass Norris, who managed his tires effectively and fended off his teammate’s advances in the closing laps.
The result was a captivating race, heightened by radio transmissions that revealed the intensity of the drivers’ competition. Piastri’s remark that he “didn’t care” about Leclerc, focusing solely on beating Norris, underscored the significance of the battle.
While the drivers’ public statements often portray a harmonious relationship, the race exposed the underlying intensity of their pursuit of victory.
McLaren’s management, far from being concerned, expressed excitement.
CEO Zak Brown hailed it as “an epic finish.”
Team principal Andrea Stella commented, “When you have two exceptional drivers like Lando and Oscar competing for a Formula 1 grand prix victory and the drivers’ championship, it will inevitably be a close contest.”
“However, the racing was firm and fair, aligning with our principles.”
“Oscar experienced a slight lock-up, but Lando left sufficient space, recognizing Oscar’s braking limits.”
“We are proud of Lando and Oscar’s racing. It exemplifies the spirit of F1 and the values of McLaren. We anticipate an engaging final part of the season, even with Ferrari’s strong showing in the race.”
Piastri locks up as he attempts to pass Norris into Turn One during the closing stages of the Hungarian Grand Prix
With Max Verstappen committed to Red Bull for the upcoming year, it seems likely that Mercedes will re-sign George Russell. Is there any indication of Russell’s feelings about potentially being considered a second option to Verstappen, given his strong performances this year? – Tom
Leading up to the Hungarian Grand Prix, Russell openly expressed his discomfort with how his contractual situation has been managed this year.
Being both managed and employed by Mercedes limits his leverage in contract negotiations compared to a more conventional arrangement.
As Russell stated, “It’s something we need to consider. What are their objectives, and what are mine?”
“We’ve been in a unique situation for the past few months. I don’t have significant power in this agreement, and our interests may not have been fully aligned during that time.”
“My job is to perform and mitigate that risk.”
“I still trust Toto [Wolff] and believe the team will continue to support me, but the last six months have been unsettling for both Kimi [Antonelli] and me, which is conflicting.”
Both Russell and Antonelli are expected to race for Mercedes next year. However, the possibility of a similar situation arising remains.
Toto Wolff’s interest in Max Verstappen is unlikely to diminish, and if Red Bull’s competitiveness falters, Verstappen may seek an exit.
I’m not making life easy for myself – Norris
Hungarian Grand Prix Review
Is there a clear explanation for Aston Martin’s significantly improved performance in Hungary compared to previous races? Both Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll demonstrated considerably greater speed than the week before. – Stan
Aston Martin themselves expressed some uncertainty regarding their improved form at the Hungarian Grand Prix.
The team had Alonso and Stroll starting on the back row in Belgium and then on the third row a week later in Hungary.
However, the explanation seems relatively straightforward.
Alonso attributed it to track characteristics, stating, “We haven’t made significant changes to the car since Spa. There were no new parts. The layout and characteristics of the circuit simply suit our car.”
“It would be beneficial to understand why the car is operating in this sweet spot, as that knowledge could be applied in future races.”
Two factors are relevant. First, prior to Spa, Aston Martin had been on an upward trajectory following a major upgrade at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix in mid-May.
Alonso qualified fifth at Imola, seventh in Monaco, 10th in Spain, sixth in Canada, 11th in Austria, and ninth at Silverstone.
Therefore, the Spa result should be considered an outlier, rather than Hungary.
The Aston Martin’s aerodynamic inefficiency hinders its performance on tracks with long straights, like Spa, where straights comprise two-thirds of the circuit. The Hungaroring has a higher percentage of corners.
Silverstone is also a fast track, but Aston Martin reverted to an older-spec floor at Spa, believing it would better suit the track, particularly regarding bottoming at Eau Rouge.
This meant abandoning the new floor introduced at Silverstone in favor of a previous-spec one introduced at Imola.
That decision may have also contributed to the outcome.
Alonso delivered a strong performance on Sunday, committing early to the one-stop strategy that secured Lando Norris’s victory, converting his grid position into the same race result. Stroll finished less than 10 seconds behind in seventh.
It’s reasonable to expect Aston Martin’s performance to continue fluctuating based on track characteristics.
Monza may present challenges for them, but they should be competitive for top-10 finishes at Zandvoort and Singapore.
‘He definitely has it’, so why did Hamilton say he was useless?
Cardile working for Aston after dispute resolved
Do post-race investigations undermine the credibility of F1? It’s uncommon in other sports for results to be altered after the event. – Martin
This likely refers to the investigation into the incident between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton at Turn Four after the Hungarian race.
The FIA’s decision reflects a response to repeated requests from teams and drivers for thorough investigations of potentially contentious incidents, rather than immediate in-race decisions.
Consider the controversy between Verstappen and Lando Norris in Austin last year. McLaren argued that stewards should have heard from both drivers before making a decision.
The stewards followed this approach in Hungary.
However, Hamilton did not attend the hearing. Verstappen commented, “I don’t think Lewis felt strongly about it. If he did, he would have been present in the stewards’ room, right?”
“Neither of us had the best weekend, so it’s just a minor detail.”
Alternatively, Hamilton’s absence may have been due to frustration after a difficult weekend, making him reluctant to debate an incident that wouldn’t affect the race outcome.
The stewards concluded that Verstappen was prepared to give Hamilton more space, but Hamilton chose to go off-track. They stated, “There was no contact, and the incident does not qualify as forcing another car off track, despite the ambitious nature of the overtaking attempt, and therefore no further action will be taken.”
Send us your question for F1 correspondent Andrew Benson
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