The unexpected gave way to an emotional fight... in the pits

Before the summer break, Formula 1 arrived at one of the most iconic venues in its history. It was at the legendary Hungaroring in Hungary that the drivers bid farewell to the first stage of the season. Set in Mogyoród, on the outskirts of Budapest, the 4.381-kilometer circuit is the sixth shortest this year and presents itself as a technical, demanding, and winding track, giving drivers few clear overtaking opportunities. In 1986, the Hungaroring became the first Grand Prix to be held behind the "Iron Curtain" and is currently the only one held in Eastern Europe. Many memorable moments have occurred at the Hungarian Grand Prix in the past, such as Nigel Mansell's world championship title in 1992 or the "war" between Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello in 2010.

Furthermore, the Hungarian circuit has the distinction of having the third-highest number of Formula 1 debut drivers (six), behind only Monza (eight) and Monaco (nine). The last to achieve this was Oscar Piastri (McLaren), who won the Hungarian Grand Prix in 2024, after Esteban Ocon (Haas) also joined the list in 2021. The current World Drivers' Championship leader was initially scheduled to start from second place, after Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) took pole position in Qualifying, a result that ended up being surprising and likely caused by the wind shift and a drastic drop in asphalt temperature. World champion Max Verstappen (Red Bull) started from eighth, behind Gabriel Bortoleto (Kick Sauber), who surprised again.

Charles Leclerc takes unexpected pole position at the Hungarian F1 GP

"I don't understand anything about Formula 1 today. Honestly, the whole Qualifying session was extremely difficult. When I say extremely difficult, I'm not exaggerating. It was difficult for us to get to Q2, and it was difficult to get to Q3. In Q3, the conditions changed a bit. Everything got much more complicated, and I knew I had to do a clean lap to get to third place. Ultimately, it's pole position . I definitely didn't expect that. I felt the change in grip a lot, and I also had less downforce. When it started raining in Q2, I just hoped it wouldn't continue. It didn't; the conditions changed, which made everything very complicated, and in the end, we're in pole position . Honestly, I'm speechless. It's probably one of the best pole positions I've ever achieved. It's the most unexpected, for sure. The start and Turn 1 will be crucial. I have no idea how it will play out, but one thing is certain: I will do absolutely everything to maintain first place. If we can do that, it should make our lives easier for the rest of the race," said the Monegasque, who saw his teammate Lewis Hamilton (12th) say he has been “absolutely useless” and that Ferrari “probably needs to change drivers”.

“I think the wind changed a lot. It's always pathetic to blame the wind for things, but the wind turned 180 degrees between Q2 and Q3, which made many corners feel completely different. It was difficult to judge in those conditions, and perhaps it wasn't the best execution. I was surprised we couldn't go faster than that. Second place is still a good starting position, so we'll see what we can do tomorrow [Sunday]. Charles has been fast all weekend, and this morning he was closer than we expected. Things have changed a bit. He did a great job, congratulations. I didn't expect to finish second to a Ferrari this weekend. Tomorrow's race will be fun, with a bit more excitement,” the Australian predicted.

The starting grid for Sunday's race ????

Don't miss this one! #F1 #HungarianGP pic.twitter.com/NCLlzro8Gc

— Formula 1 (@F1) August 2, 2025

Thus, the one- or two- stop pit strategy and the weather conditions promised to liven up the race, which began with strong winds and some thunderstorms on the horizon, as well as rain. Leclerc got off to a good start and held the lead against Piastri's attack. A little further back, Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) took advantage of the start to move up to fourth, with Lando Norris (McLaren) dropping to fifth. However, on the third lap, the Brit reacted on the home straight and regained the lead over the Spaniard. By lap seven, the Ferrari had a nearly three-second lead over the McLaren, which began pushing hard. With Norris now putting pressure on George Russell (Mercedes), Leclerc, Piastri, Verstappen, and Russell all pitted for the first time, switching to hard tires. Thus, the Englishman in the McLaren took the lead, adopting a one -stop pit strategy.

Great start from Alonso and Russel ???? #DAZNF1 pic.twitter.com/xznTf8KhDw

— DAZN Portugal (@DAZNPortugal) August 3, 2025

With Oscar Piastri in third, Max Verstappen climbing the top 10 in the starting lineup, and George Russell in fourth, Charles Leclerc began gaining lap times of around a second per lap on Lando Norris. On lap 30, Lewis Hamilton and the Dutchman re-enacted a duel from long ago, with the Red Bull coming out on top. Leclerc began criticizing Ferrari's strategy, although he returned to first place shortly afterward. When Norris switched to hard tires on lap 32, he pulled ahead of Alonso, also on a one-stop strategy, in fourth place, and began flying, closing in on Russell. On lap 41, Leclerc started his second tire change at the front, switched to hard tires, and dropped to fourth, with Piastri taking the lead. The Mercedes was called into the pits four laps later, also for hard tires, and dropped to fourth. The new leader switched to the new hard tyres on lap 46, with a superb 1.9-second stop, coming out five seconds behind Leclerc.

The Ferrari Experience???? #DAZNF1 pic.twitter.com/O2STTaXxxo

— DAZN Portugal (@DAZNPortugal) August 3, 2025

His teammate then jumped into the lead, with McLaren taking the top two spots with 19 laps remaining, when Piastri forced Leclerc into second. With the debate raging and involving the top three, who were separated by ten seconds, the Monegasque driver once again railed against his team, criticizing their poor decisions in handling "the situations," stating that he was "losing competitiveness" and that it would be "lucky to finish on the podium." As a result, Piastri began to pull away from him and close in on Norris, while Russell re-entered the fight for the podium. In the final stretch of the race, the Mercedes closed in on the Ferrari and, after a very aggressive but uneventful duel, prevailed. From then on, the battle was confined to the McLarens, with Piastri applying pressure on the penultimate lap and being forced to brake hard as he was trying to surprise. Despite the pressure, Lando Norris held on to first place and took his first victory in Hungary, his ninth victory and 38th podium finish in Formula 1. The orange team achieved its 13th victory in Budapest. Russell finished third, with Leclerc and Alonso completing the top five.

Norris wins and gets closer to Piastri in the drivers' world championship ????

Couldn't we ask for a better race before the summer break???? #DAZNF1 pic.twitter.com/MICKlXedwY

— DAZN Portugal (@DAZNPortugal) August 3, 2025

In the Drivers' Championship, Norris, who claimed his third victory in the last four Grands Prix, has once again closed in on Oscar Piastri, who remains in the lead with 284 points, compared to his teammate's 275. Thus, the Australian will enter the summer break with a lead of just nine points. Max Verstappen remains in third place with 187 points, while George Russell is fourth with 172, and Charles Leclerc rounds out the top five with 151. In the Constructors' Championship, McLaren dominates with 559 points, compared to Ferrari's 260 and Mercedes' 236.