Formula 1’s 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix Review
Lando Norris held his nerve and pulled off a brilliant one-stop strategy to edge out teammate Oscar Piastri at the Hungaroring, claiming a thrilling victory in the final race before Formula 1’s summer break. In what was another statement weekend for McLaren, the British team delivered a seventh 1–2 finish of the season—this time with Norris on top—cutting Piastri’s lead in the championship down to just nine points.
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🟠 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix – Qualifying Review
Leclerc shocks the field with a last-lap stunner to grab pole in Budapest
Charles Leclerc pulled off the surprise of the season on Saturday at the Hungaroring, edging out Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris with a last-gasp flyer in deteriorating conditions to claim Ferrari’s first pole of 2025.
In a session defined by rising winds, ominous clouds, and unpredictable grip, the Monegasque driver strung together a masterful 1:15.372 in Q3 to snatch pole by just 0.026s over Piastri. It was a lap that stunned even Leclerc, who admitted he was only targeting third at best.
McLaren locked out the rest of the top three with Piastri and Norris separated by just 0.015s, while George Russell continued his upswing for Mercedes with a solid fourth. Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll lined up fifth and sixth for Aston Martin, while Gabriel Bortoleto impressed again in seventh.
Verstappen could only manage eighth after a scrappy afternoon aboard the Red Bull. Racing Bulls rookies Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar rounded out the top ten, capping off a strong showing for the Faenza outfit.
🔵 Q1 – Piastri on top, chaos in the midfield
Qualifying kicked off under thick clouds, but despite the threat, the rain stayed away in Q1. Oscar Piastri wasted no time, immediately laying down a 1:15.211 that would stand as the fastest time of the segment.
Behind him, Alonso continued to show strong pace in the Aston Martin, going second ahead of a resurgent Isack Hadjar in third. McLaren’s Norris and Ferrari’s Leclerc completed the top five, while Verstappen scraped through in 13th.
The midfield, however, was messy. Carlos Sainz flat-spotted his tyres early, compromising his run. Esteban Ocon complained of a loose screw on his tyre. And in the final moments, Pierre Gasly, Yuki Tsunoda, Nico Hulkenberg, and Alex Albon were all knocked out, joined by Ocon in the Q1 exits.
Knocked out: Tsunoda, Gasly, Ocon, Hulkenberg, Albon
🔵 Q2 – Rain teases as Hamilton falters again
The second segment began with light rain and falling temperatures, forcing teams into a game of timing. Lando Norris timed his lap perfectly, going fastest with a 1:14.890, with Piastri just behind.
Alonso, Stroll, Russell, and Leclerc filled the top six, while Verstappen and both Racing Bulls scraped through.
But the big names fell hard: Lewis Hamilton missed Q3 for the second race in a row, finishing 12th. “Every time,” he sighed on the radio. Kimi Antonelli initially qualified 11th but was dropped to 15th due to a deleted lap for track limits. Haas rookie Ollie Bearman, Carlos Sainz, and Franco Colapinto were also sent packing.
Knocked out: Bearman, Sainz, Hamilton, Colapinto, Antonelli
🔵 Q3 – Leclerc stuns McLaren with a final-lap masterpiece
With the skies darkening and wind swirling, the final session looked set for a McLaren front row. Piastri opened with a 1:15.398, narrowly ahead of Norris. But the track was changing lap by lap.
Alonso and Stroll briefly split the McLarens, but it was Leclerc who saved his best for last. With one of his most complete laps in recent memory, he pulled off a 1:15.372 to leapfrog both Piastri and Norris for a pole no one saw coming.
Russell locked in fourth for Mercedes, followed by Aston Martin’s Alonso and Stroll. Gabriel Bortoleto impressed again in P7, while Verstappen struggled to put it together and could only manage P8. Lawson and Hadjar secured valuable top-10 starts for the Racing Bulls.
🟢 Top 10 – Hungarian Grand Prix Qualifying Results
| Pos | Driver | Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:15.582 | 1:15.455 | 1:15.372 |
| 2 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren Mercedes | 1:15.211 | 1:14.941 | 1:15.398 |
| 3 | Lando Norris | McLaren Mercedes | 1:15.523 | 1:14.890 | 1:15.413 |
| 4 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:15.627 | 1:15.201 | 1:15.425 |
| 5 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 1:15.281 | 1:15.395 | 1:15.481 |
| 6 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 1:15.673 | 1:15.129 | 1:15.498 |
| 7 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 1:15.586 | 1:15.687 | 1:15.725 |
| 8 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 1:15.736 | 1:15.547 | 1:15.728 |
| 9 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls Honda RBPT | 1:15.849 | 1:15.630 | 1:15.821 |
| 10 | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls Honda RBPT | 1:15.516 | 1:15.469 | 1:15.915 |
🏁 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix Race Summary
It was Charles Leclerc who grabbed the spotlight in Saturday’s Qualifying, taking an unexpected pole position ahead of the McLaren pair. And the Monegasque capitalized early, leading comfortably through the opening stint while Norris fell back to P5 after losing out to both Alonso and Russell on Lap 1.
As strategy battles unfolded under dry, gusty skies, McLaren made a bold call—switching Norris to a one-stop plan while Piastri and Leclerc committed to two. It proved to be the winning move.
Piastri did everything he could, chasing down Norris with rapid laps in the closing stages, but was ultimately forced to settle for second—just 0.698s behind his teammate after a brave but unsuccessful lunge on Lap 69. Norris, exhausted and breathless on the radio after the chequered flag, celebrated his fifth win of the year and one of his most hard-fought yet.
Behind the McLarens, George Russell muscled past a struggling Leclerc to claim third for Mercedes. Leclerc faded in the final stint and was handed a five-second time penalty for erratic driving during his defense, though he still retained fourth.
Fernando Alonso capped off a strong Sunday for Aston Martin with P5—his best result of the year—while his protégé Gabriel Bortoleto continued to shine with P6 for Kick Sauber. Stroll, Lawson, Verstappen, and Antonelli rounded out the top ten.
It was another frustrating race for Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton, who finished 12th after a bruising on-track exchange with Verstappen—an incident now under investigation. Alpine’s woes continued as Colapinto and Gasly brought up the rear, and Oliver Bearman was the race’s only retirement due to car damage.
🧮 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix – Final Classification
| Pos | Driver | Team | Time/Retired | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lando Norris | McLaren Mercedes | 1:35:21.231 | 25 |
| 2 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren Mercedes | +0.698s | 18 |
| 3 | George Russell | Mercedes | +21.916s | 15 |
| 4 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | +42.560s | 12 |
| 5 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin Mercedes | +59.040s | 10 |
| 6 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Kick Sauber Ferrari | +66.169s | 8 |
| 7 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Mercedes | +68.174s | 6 |
| 8 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls Honda RBPT | +69.451s | 4 |
| 9 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | +72.645s | 2 |
| 10 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | +1 lap | 1 |
| 11 | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls Honda RBPT | +1 lap | 0 |
| 12 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | +1 lap | 0 |
| 13 | Nico Hulkenberg | Kick Sauber Ferrari | +1 lap | 0 |
| 14 | Carlos Sainz | Williams Mercedes | +1 lap | 0 |
| 15 | Alexander Albon | Williams Mercedes | +1 lap | 0 |
| 16 | Esteban Ocon | Haas Ferrari | +1 lap | 0 |
| 17 | Yuki Tsunoda | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | +1 lap | 0 |
| 18 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine Renault | +1 lap | 0 |
| 19 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine Renault | +1 lap | 0 |
| NC | Oliver Bearman | Haas Ferrari | DNF | 0 |
Note: Leclerc received a 5-second time penalty for erratic driving. Gasly received a 10-second penalty for causing a collision.
🟠 Conclusion
Hungary served up one of the most entertaining tactical battles of the year—and it was Lando Norris who emerged as the master of timing and tyre management. McLaren continue to soar, with another dominant weekend that inches them closer to a Constructors’ Championship dream and keeps the Drivers’ title fight razor-thin between their two stars.
With Formula 1 now heading into its summer shutdown, all eyes will turn to the electric atmosphere of Zandvoort when the Dutch Grand Prix roars to life from August 29–31.
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