F1 2025 Hungary GP LIVE: Race latest updates, times and schedule in Budapest

“The start is also important but race-pace tends to favour the winner, it’s difficult to overtake, a lot of work in strategy.

Performed by Veca Janicsak in Budapest…

Asked whether he’d been at the Maranello factory in the last few weeks, Hamilton replied that he had. A “couple of days each week”, he detailed. Then, untriggered, the British driver, often so reluctant to reveal the inner workings of his mind, went into full disclosure mode.

The Hungaroring is a 4.381 km circuit that lies around 45 minutes away from Budapest, the capital of Hungary.

The track has hosted the Hungarian Grand Prix since 1986, and has proved popular among fans. It is known for its tight, winding nature and is both the second shortest and second slowest circuit in F1, having been compared to Monaco in the past.

Turn 1 is the main overtaking spot – although Turn 2 and the hill towards Turn 4 often throw together overtaking battles – while the middle sector focuses on grip and keeping the tyres alive.

While overtaking is notoriously difficult, there have been notable highlights over the years including Jenson Button’s maiden victory in 2006, a superb strategic win from Michael Schumacher in 1998 and Esteban Ocon’s victory for Alpine in 2021.

7. Racing Bulls – 41 points

8. Aston Martin – 36 points

“I don’t want to make any outside comments on how things work for any other team. Antonelli is certainly very fast, but also a very young driver,” Helmut Marko said.

“Strangely enough, we spoke briefly in the hotel at Spa, and he said that he has no confidence in the car. As soon as he pushes, he no longer has control.

“It’s more of a mental thing, and it seems that [with] his car, like ours, it’s very critical to be in the working window. When it does work, it’s much more potent, and of course a driver like Russell does it much more easily. Mercedes, thank goodness, don’t have the luxury of a second team.”

Hamilton said on the radio “every time, every time” after he was knocked out in Q2, and did not mince his words in the media pen afterwards.

“It’s just me every time – I’m useless, absolutely useless,” a downbeat Hamilton told Sky Sports F1.

“The team has no problem, we’re on pole. They probably need to change driver.”

1. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – 266 points

2. Lando Norris (McLaren) – 250 points

3. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 185 points

4. George Russell (Mercedes) – 157 points

5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 139 points

6. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) – 109 points

7. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) – 63 points

8. Alex Albon (Williams) – 54 points

9. Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber) – 37 points

10. Esteban Ocon (Haas) – 27 points

12. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) – 22 points

12. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) – 20 points

13. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) – 20 points

14. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) – 16 points

15. Carlos Sainz (Williams) – 16 points

16. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) – 16 points

17. Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) – 10 points

18. Ollie Bearman (Haas) – 8 points

19. Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber) – 6 points

20. Franco Colapinto (Alpine) – 0 points

21. Jack Doohan (Alpine) – 0 points