After getting the better of Lewis Hamilton from the first corner, Max Verstappen was no longer worried and won the Hungarian Grand Prix, extending his series of successes a little more. Lando Norris confirms McLaren’s progress with second place ahead of Sergio Pérez.
Max Verstappen answered perfectly. Beaten for three thousandths of a second by Lewis Hamilton this Saturday during the qualifying session, the reigning double world champion did not leave victory to anyone at the Hungarian Grand Prix. The Dutchman offered this Sunday at the Hungaroring the twelfth victory in a row, straddling the 2022 and 2023 seasons, for the Red Bull Racing team. However, when the lights went out, there was an obstacle between Max Verstappen and the first position called Lewis Hamilton.
But a bad impulse from the Briton made things easier for the number 1 wearer. Right out of the first corner, the Dutchman grabbed the lead and absolutely never let go. For Lewis Hamilton, the start was an ordeal with Oscar Piastri then Lando Norris who took the lead. But the worst will remain for Alpine, with Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon having to retire on the first lap after being the victim of a pile-up caused by Guanyu Zhou, who received a five-second penalty, and Daniel Ricciardo.
McLaren confirms its return to business
In the heat of Mogyorod, the tires were put to the test and the first stops came on the tenth lap. Starting on soft rubber, which allowed him to gain five places on the first lap, Carlos Sainz Jr held sixteen loops. Lewis Hamilton veered off on the next lap, aware that he was gradually losing ground to the McLaren drivers. This provoked the immediate reaction of Lando Norris then Oscar Piastri. Max Verstappen, for his part, delayed his stop as much as possible but had to resign himself to abandoning his medium tires for hard ones on the 23rd lap.
The Dutchman was quickly imitated by his teammate Sergio Pérez, who then embarked on a fantastic comeback. Carlos Sainz Jr then George Russell could not resist the Mexican. On lap 43, stuck behind Lewis Hamilton, the Red Bull Racing driver opted for the “undercut” strategy, stopping before the Mercedes driver to gain ground on fresh tyres. A strategy that worked perfectly. Indeed, Lewis Hamilton came out behind him and Oscar Piastri during his second and final stop on the 49th lap.
Verstappen has it all under control
At the front, Max Verstappen waited for the 41st loop to switch to medium tires and finish the race. The reigning double world champion quietly went for a seventh straight Grand Prix victory with more than 30 seconds ahead of Lando Norris, who withstood pressure from Sergio Pérez in the final laps. Lewis Hamilton also pushed to get back on the Mexican but had to settle for fourth ahead of Oscar Piastri. George Russell took advantage of a five-second penalty for Charles Leclerc, guilty of speeding in the pits during his second stop, and took sixth place.
The Monegasque, meanwhile, saves seventh position by seven tenths of a second against Carlos Sainz Jr. Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll complete the Top 10 for Aston Martin. With this new victory, Max Verstappen pushes Sergio Pérez to 110 points in the drivers’ standings. A gap that the Dutchman could further increase next weekend in Belgium during the last round before the summer break, which will be marked by the organization of a sprint.
