Max has one hand on the trophy as Ferrari falter again…

By Joe Murphy

A race that had five different leaders over the course of an afternoon was never going to be a dull affair. Ferrari’s stretegy team came under more pressure, Max Verstappen stamped his title credentials and it was a disastrous day for anyone opting for the hard tyre. There is much to discuss so let’s get on with it…

Max’s best ever win?

Unreliability from the Dutchman’s Red Bull during Saturday’s qualifying session looked to have ruined the weekend of the current championship leader. He started P10 for Sunday’s race and the best he could have hoped for would have been a step on the lower part of the podium. However, Max Verstappen capitalised on errors from Ferrari and utilised his superior pace compared to the rest of the field to come back and win the 2022 Hungarian Grand Prix. He recovered to P4 relatively quickly and both the Mercedes and Ferrari pair could do very little to thwart the efforts of the current world champion. Some of the great drivers throughout history have had similar races, most recently Lewis Hamilton who won from 14th at the 2019 German Grand Prix. This was Max’s moment. As we head into the summer break, it was more than just a useful 25 points for his tally. It was a critical moment in this topsy turvy season that might just make his lead unassailable at the top.

What are they smoking at Ferrari?

Part of the reason for the success of the Red Bull driver is the fact that Ferrari practically handed it to him on a plate. Max overtook the man from Monaco with ease, spun a complete 360 to fall behind Leclerc again and then just walked passed him the very next lap. Why was this? Well, after watching the Alpine pair opt for the Hard Tyre and it ruining their race completely, Ferrari thought “yes, I’ll have some of that”. To be clear, they started on the mediums and therefore had to use another compound. However, surely doing two stints on the yellow marked tyre before a short burst on the softs, was the way to go here. A blind man could see that this track and the hardest tyre weren’t working together, so just why they put their lead driver on that set of rubber is anyone’s guess. Errors like this, at a time where they can ill afford them, are going to cost Ferrari huge. In fact, they already are. Sticking to medium and soft tyres was key to a successful strategy, as illustrated by the most successful team of the weekend…

Double Double for Mercedes…

After a first double podium in the previous race, Mercedes repeated the feat with a tremendous showing in Hungary. In fact, with a few more laps, Lewis Hamilton may have had a chance at the race win as he was much faster than his Dutch rival. Still, the man from Stevenage picked up his fifth consecutive podium finish in a season that has been a struggle for the seven time world champion. Across the garage, his teammate showcased why he was known as Mr Consistent as George Russell showed us why he is the type of guy to get his first Pole Position out of nowhere. Using nothing but his talent, he got his Silver Arrow to the front of the grid, beating both Ferrari’s and his teammate, in the process. Wheel2Wheel Reports called that this would be a strong weekend for the young Brit, but this performance shocked all audiences. Whilst he may be disappointed he could only turn this feat into a third place finish, it was another good weekend for Mercedes as they just about hang on in the race for the Constructor’s Championship.

Hard Tyre costs Alpine in battle with McLaren…

Much like with Ferrari and Charles Leclerc, a team decision to put both Estaban Ocon and Fernando Alonso on the Hard compound ultimately cost their team what could have been a top six finish. Certainly, it put them comprehensively behind the McLaren pair of Daniel Ricciardo and Lando Norris. In this battle for P4, every point is precious so the Orange team will be delighted with how events unfolded around the Hungaroring. With Fernando Alonso announcing he is leaving the French Constructor at the end of the season for the seemingly slower Aston Martin, you have to question the ambition of the Alpine team. They have been quick at times this season, even pushing Mercedes on occasion. However, they just haven’t had the consistency or knowledge to challenge on a long term or serious basis.

Hard fought point for Seb as Aston Martin improve...

In a difficult season, every point will do for the Aston Martin team. Sebastian Vettel announced his retirement and then went on to score what could be (but hopefully won’t be) his final point in the sport with a stellar performance. Whilst other teams strategy came under scrutiny, Aston Martin played a blinder and secured 10th and 11th for the second consecutive week, with the drivers in the reverse order this time out. They should comfortably see out Williams to not finish last in the table, and certainly have Alpha and Alfa in their sights if they can muster together more performances like this. A good day for Seb then in his final race at the venue. For Lance, he could do with learning as much as he can from his current teammate, before honing his craft alongside the aforementioned Fernando Alonso next season.