Inside the Paddock | The Hungaroring rewards genius while punishing the confused

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The Hungarian Grand Prix was the exception to the 2025 rule, although the rule ultimately held true. McLaren won again , though not in its usual fashion. The Hungaroring once again proved true to its habit of breaking the mold with a strategic race with an uncertain outcome for much of it.

Ferrari's hopes of a potential victory thanks to Saturday's capricious winds shattered the expected solo ride of Norris and Piastri , which left them to their own devices. However, the Italian team put in a disconcerting performance. Dominating in the first half of the race, they plummeted in the second, even missing out on the podium on a track where pole position traditionally enjoys a high percentage of wins.

Leclerc's furious radio messages to his team and Ferrari's final version revealed contradictions. What happened to cause him to be up to two seconds per lap slower in the final phase? The Monegasque's reproaches suggested that Ferrari was making decisions that had been previously discussed against his own judgment. That upon receiving "more information" at the end of the test, the Monegasque understood and admitted he was wrong, did not fit with the logic of the preceding events.

According to Russell's later hypothesis, the Italian team would have had to resort to unique resources—higher tire pressures during the final stint and more relaxed engine maps—to avoid wear on the lower plate that controls the single-seater's ground clearance, a problem already experienced in the past in China, and which requires control on certain circuits. From Leclerc 's words, it was clear that the driver had his own ideas about how to manage the issue from behind the wheel. With this final position, Ferrari closed the can of worms that the Monegasque had opened during the race.

McLaren had to fight for victory , as evidenced by the fact that its drivers doubled their strategies to battle the intruder Leclerc for half the race, although both Norris and Piastri ultimately put everything in order. The feeling remained that, as at Silverstone, the least consistent driver over the weekend would win . This was a good thing, because the longer the title fight drags on, the better for everyone, as it's a matter of both drivers.

Like a lifeline to a shipwrecked driver, the Hungaroring came to Aston Martin after the Spa debacle . A surprising turnaround that must be interpreted with careful consideration. Spa and the Hungaroring pose different challenges for a single-seater. Anything close to the former for the rest of the season is bad. Any type of track that resembles or features a high percentage of corners from the latter is even better. At least Alonso continues to harbor hope that, if Adrian Newey delivers, he'll still be fit enough to do the rest. His race management was masterful, helping him achieve the best possible result with the pre-race simulations in hand.

Carlos Sainz is showing signs of being emotionally weakened ahead of a timely summer break. He optimized the poor performance of the FW47 at the Hungaroring and beat his teammate . Without any obvious reward. Sainz always improves in the second half of the season and will need to repeat this pattern, because life is tough when you drop down the competitive ladder in Formula 1.