Verstappen Extends Streak But McLaren's Norris Snatches the Spotlight in Hungary
Max Verstappen utterly dominated the Hungarian Grand Prix from start to finish, pulling off a flawless drive to claim a decisive victory while also setting a new record for consecutive race wins by Red Bull.
The race began with an explosive start, with Verstappen firing off the line from pole position to snatch the lead into Turn 1 as Lewis Hamilton alongside him got bogged down.Verstappen swiftly dived down the inside and edged ahead, while Hamilton ran wide allowing Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris to sweep around the outside into second and third.
From there, Verstappen was in total control at the front, managing his medium tires superbly to stretch out his first stint to a massive 24 laps. When he eventually pitted, he retained the lead over Sergio Perez who had made a storming start from 9th but was on a contrasting hard tire strategy.
Perez picked his way through the field, overtaking Carlos Sainz and George Russell before passing Hamilton with a tactical undercut on lap 28. He then found himself chasing down Norris in second place but was unable to find a way past the determined McLaren driver in the closing stages.
Norris drove the race of his young career to claim a superb second place, defending tenaciously from the charging Perez. Meanwhile, Hamilton battled his way back from his sluggish getaway to overtake Piastri late on and snatch fourth spot. Perez brought the car home in the final podium position in third.
Charles Leclerc endured a torrid afternoon, falling to 11th after a slow pitstop costing valuable seconds. He fought back well but a 5-second time penalty for speeding in the pits demoted him behind Russell who had charged sensationally from 18th. Russell eventually finished a solid 6th.
Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll claimed the final points in 8th and 9th, splitting the two Ferrari drivers of Leclerc and Sainz who failed to convert their second-row start into a strong result.
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff described Red Bull's jaw-dropping pace advantage as akin to "Formula 2 cars against a Formula 1" car. He felt Mercedes had the second fastest car but failed to "monetize" that speed owing to Hamilton's tardy getaway and potentially botched tire strategy.
In summary, Verstappen's utterly flawless drive from lights to flag - extending his impressive winning streak - underlined Red Bull's mammoth performance advantage over the rest of the grid. Red Bull has done a magnificent job optimizing their aerodynamic and engine performance within the dense regulations, creating an insurmountable margin at the front.
