The Hungaroring, Budapest. Twelve months ago, as it became apparent that McLaren’s 2024 mid-season renaissance was more than just a temporary spike on the performance graph, this is where the first banging of heads occurred between the papaya drivers out on track. Two drivers desperate for victory, which made a quarrel, with neither defined as team No 1. Quite the inevitability.
Eventually, Oscar Piastri claimed his first F1 race victory and almost looked embarrassed to celebrate. It only came after Lando Norris reluctantly conceded the lead, as his engineer Will Joseph pleaded with the Brit to follow team orders.
“I know you’ll do the right thing,” Joseph told his driver. “Just remember every single Sunday morning meeting we have… I’m trying to protect you, mate… please do it now.” Eventually, the series of orders – teetering on the edge of successive guilt trips – triggered the most reluctant of acquiesces from Norris.
Now, in a championship battle solely between this exciting high-flying McLaren pairing, F1 returns to Hungary for the final race before the summer break. After Norris claimed two much-needed victories in Austria and Silverstone, Piastri wrestled back some of that momentum with a lightning quick overtake over his teammate at Spa last time out, which set up a supreme victory.
They now each have eight grand prix victories to their name and the Australian’s advantage in the title race stands at 16 points, in a battle which looks set to go down to the wire.
“There is very, very little between our two drivers and this is because they’re racing at a very, very high level,” McLaren team principal Andrea Stella said, after the last round in Belgium.
“We’re lucky at McLaren to have two drivers that are deservedly fighting for the world championship. I think the difference [in the title race] will be made by the accuracy, the precision and the quality of the execution.
“As a team, from a reliability and operational point of view, we need to make sure we’re as good as possible… such that it will be the drivers deciding their own outcome, in terms of competing for the drivers’ world championship.”
In this respect, Piastri and Norris need not worry. Neither driver has been forced to retire from a race due to a mechanical issue so far – a form of “DNF” which is near-extinct in the sport across all 10 teams – and the only retirement came when the pair collided in the closing laps in Canada in June. It is unlikely to be their last confrontation on the tarmac.
On that occasion, Norris was at fault and quickly admitted blame. His topsy-turvy season so far – fluctuating from incomprehensible mistakes to phenomenal qualifying laps – backs up Nico Rosberg’s theory this week that the 2025 title will be decided in “Lando’s head”.
The 2016 F1 world champion said on the Sky F1 podcast: “You can’t really say Lando is a smidge quicker anymore. There’s no basis to that anymore.
“Oscar has been extremely quick, I see them on a par. For me, the championship will be decided in Lando’s head. That’s my impression. How solid can Lando become?”
Prior to the team order shenanigans last year, Piastri propelled down the inside of pole-sitter Norris to take the lead at turn one. With such a long run down to the first corner in Budapest, much like Spa last week, pole position may not be as advantageous as usual.
It means the race-craft of both drivers – the factor which often makes the difference in a tight title battle – all the more important, in what will be a crowded congestion of cars at the start come Sunday afternoon.
Initial impressions on Friday were as expected: both drivers were in the top two in the first practice session, with Norris drawing first blood with a time 0.019 seconds quicker than his rival. A small indication of the hair’s width between the two drivers.
Elsewhere, Max Verstappen confirmed his intention to stay at Red Bull for 2026 on Thursday, ending speculation over a move to Mercedes despite Red Bull’s drop in performance this season. On the same day, Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur signed a contract extension with the Scuderia; a show of faith despite a winless start to this season and with star signing Lewis Hamilton yet to register a podium.
Yet the Hungaroring is one of Hamilton’s favourite tracks. After Silverstone, he has claimed the most wins here, with eight. He acknowledged on Thursday that “there will be some tears” in the August shutdown, such has been the disappointment of the last few months in red. Yet he’ll have one final chance to alleviate some of that pain, in a bid to arrest his worst-ever start to a Formula One campaign.
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F1 Hungarian GP LIVE: Practice updates, results and qualifying start time in Budapest
Lando Norris completes practice double at the Hungarian Grand Prix
