The 2026 Hungarian Grand Prix finally produced Mercedes’ first genuine setback of the season, with the championship leaders never seriously involved in the fight at the front throughout the Budapest weekend. Ferrari appeared ideally placed to capitalise, but it was McLaren who seized the opportunity after being revitalised by recent developments and progress in its use of the power unit.
The reigning world champions demonstrated that they know how to take advantage when an opening appears. Andrea Kimi Antonelli did the same, maximising his result during a complicated weekend, while Ferrari’s Hungarian GP mistakes prevented Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc from turning the SF-26’s potential into a double podium. The outcome highlighted a crucial difference between the leading teams at a decisive stage of the 2026 Formula 1 season: execution mattered just as much as outright performance.
McLaren rediscover their development path
The best driver simply won at the Hungaroring. Certain circumstances helped Lando Norris, including Oscar Piastri’s contact with Carlos Sainz and the Australian driver’s subsequent retirement, but the impression was that Lando Norris did not need any assistance.
Once Oscar Piastri returned to the pits for his second stop and Lando Norris had clear track ahead, the British driver lowered his lap times by more than one second. His exceptional pace fully justified the victory and underlined how much performance McLaren had unlocked during the weekend.
During the closing stages, the McLaren pit wall even warned the reigning world champion because the team believed he was taking unnecessary risks. In reality, Lando Norris had enough pace to produce extremely fast lap times without appearing to push beyond the limits. He later described the victory as one of his finest Formula 1 performances.
Andrea Stella sees a different Lando Norris in 2026: more aware, more confident and more capable of controlling his emotions. The same cannot yet be said of Oscar Piastri. Alongside the limited grip at the updated Hungaroring, the Australian continues to struggle with the low-grip characteristics of this generation of Formula 1 cars.
McLaren upgrades provide a stronger technical foundation
McLaren now hope to fight consistently for victories, although the team are aware that Hungary was particularly well suited to the MCL40 and remains one of Lando Norris’ favourite circuits. Even so, the step made by the Woking team over recent races is undeniable.
Part of that progress has come from extracting more from the power unit. McLaren have benefited from new simulation tools supplied by Mercedes to optimise energy management, allowing the team to use the hybrid system more effectively across a lap.
Further upgrades arrived in Budapest, including changes to the floor, brake ducts and flaps around the wheel assemblies. Some of those components only reached the circuit on Friday night, but they also improved the car’s interaction with the tyres.
Andrea Stella described the changes as conceptual corrections, some of which were partly inspired by rival teams, particularly Ferrari. Together, they now provide McLaren with a solid platform that can be developed consistently.
“When McLaren understands the direction to take, we are in a position to develop effectively,” Andrea Stella explained.
Ferrari waste a major Hungarian Grand Prix opportunity
During a weekend in which Mercedes were practically absent from the leading battle, Ferrari still managed the difficult feat of finishing outside the podium positions. The final result represented a significant missed opportunity for a team that had appeared capable of challenging at the front earlier in the event, as shown by the complete 2026 Hungarian Grand Prix classification.
The SF-26 may not have possessed the strongest race pace. Ferrari were unsettled by the reversal in wind direction compared with the opening day, and the team did not make a sufficient set-up adjustment in response to those changed conditions.
Ferrari’s decision to run a high-downforce aerodynamic configuration also carried compromises. The reasons the package restricted the two drivers are examined in the analysis of Ferrari’s high-downforce rear wing in Hungary.
However, the team’s actual race pace was difficult to assess properly because both cars frequently ran in traffic and operated on strategies that were out of sequence with those of their rivals. It was also notable that Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc alternated as the quicker Ferrari driver at different moments, exactly as they had in Belgium.
Those fluctuations highlighted a degree of inconsistency in the SF-26’s pace that Ferrari will need to investigate at Maranello. Charles Leclerc was similarly unable to explain why the car’s competitiveness changed so dramatically, leaving him baffled by Ferrari’s inconsistent Hungarian GP performance.
Ferrari execution errors cost at least a double podium
Ferrari’s greatest shortcomings in Hungary were nevertheless related to execution. A succession of mistakes and penalties across qualifying and the race cost the team at least a double podium finish.
Between Silverstone and Spa-Francorchamps, Ferrari had come close to maximising its available results. By contrast, the team wasted two important opportunities in Monte Carlo and Budapest, surrendering valuable points that could prove significant in the championship.
The scale of the missed opportunity becomes clearer when examining the errors that left Ferrari outside the Hungaroring podium. Strategic decisions also contributed to the disappointing outcome, with Ferrari later acknowledging that its tyre strategy had compromised the Hungarian Grand Prix result.
The regret is considerable because the SF-26 has proved extremely solid from a reliability perspective. Ferrari also possess a valid aerodynamic platform with further development potential, while the car could benefit from a more powerful engine after the summer break.
Nothing has been compromised yet, particularly in the Constructors’ Championship. Frédéric Vasseur remains focused on the title battle after Ferrari gained a point on Mercedes, but the Maranello team can no longer afford to miss opportunities of this importance. Ferrari’s championship position and Frédéric Vasseur’s outlook are explored in his assessment of the Constructors’ title fight with Mercedes.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli limits the damage for Mercedes
Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s Hungarian Sunday was the kind of performance that can help decide a world championship. The Italian driver recovered from failing to respect a yellow flag during qualifying and delivered an intelligent race.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli protected his tyres while running in traffic during the opening laps before extending each of his following two stints. For a time, he was even able to dream of an extraordinary second-place finish, only for the Virtual Safety Car and lapped traffic to work against him.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Mercedes therefore limited the damage during a weekend in which they were always chasing their rivals. His recovery from seventh on the grid also allowed him to extend his Formula 1 championship lead with a Hungarian GP podium.
The problem was not simply a lack of compatibility between the W17 and the Hungaroring. For the first time this season, Mercedes failed to find a satisfactory set-up solution. That difficulty was intensified by Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s absence from first practice.
George Russell survives another Mercedes reliability concern
George Russell also limited the damage, as his slow start could have proved even more costly. The British driver suffered another technical problem on the grid when the engine revs suddenly rose as soon as he pressed the accelerator. When he released the pedal, the anti-stall system was activated.
The incident represented another warning sign for Mercedes, whose reliability remains precarious. Mechanical problems proved expensive during the first half of the season and could cost the team further points during the second. Mercedes subsequently provided an explanation of the engine fault behind George Russell’s difficult Hungary start.
Despite those concerns, the Brackley team can still look down on its rivals from the top of both championship standings. That advantage reflects the investments Mercedes made to ensure the W17 was immediately competitive at the beginning of the year.
Mercedes have not finished developing the car. A substantial upgrade package is already being prepared and will make its debut after the summer break. It remains unclear exactly when the new components will appear, as Mercedes must be strategic when deciding where to introduce them. With spending restricted by the budget cap, the team will want to choose the event that offers the best opportunity to maximise the performance gain.
Max Verstappen performs beyond Red Bull’s limitations
Max Verstappen was another driver who excelled during a weekend that rewarded those who were most clinical. His outstanding overtake on Lewis Hamilton became the turning point of the Dutch driver’s race, with Max Verstappen making full use of the RB22’s effectiveness under braking.
Red Bull still have several problems to resolve, particularly an extremely narrow operating window. During qualifying, that characteristic forced the drivers to battle understeer and oversteer at the same time.
Even so, the Milton Keynes team end the first half of the season in a stronger position than many would have expected with their first internally developed power unit. Surprisingly, the engine has proved to be the most powerful in the field, even though it is not necessarily the best overall package.
Racing Bulls, Alpine and Aston Martin prepare for a development battle
Racing Bulls also enjoyed an excellent first half of the 2026 season. In Budapest, the team completed an overtake in the standings that moved it into fifth place in the Constructors’ Championship.
A response is still expected from Alpine. The Enstone team made a promising start to the championship with a car in which it had invested considerable resources during an unambitious 2025 campaign. Alpine have also scored points with both Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto, rather than relying solely on one driver.
It will be interesting to see whether Aston Martin can join the contest between Racing Bulls and Alpine. The first Aston Martin upgrade package produced an almost miraculous transformation. Should the planned Honda power-unit update deliver the expected improvement, regular points could once again become achievable.
The second half of the season will therefore continue to revolve around development packages. Those updates could prove decisive in a Formula 1 championship fight that remains wide open, with Ferrari under increasing pressure to match its rivals not only in performance, but also in its ability to recognise and convert every available opportunity.
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