Skip to main content

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Autosport Plus

Discover premium content
Subscribe
Live text
Formula 1 Hungarian GP

F1 Hungarian GP Live Commentary and Updates - Race

Minute-by-minute updates for the 2023 Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix

Lance Stroll, Aston Martin AMR23, leaves the garage

Lewis Hamilton starts from a record-breaking ninth pole position at the Hungarian GP, having beaten Max Verstappen by 0.003s in a dramatic qualifying on Saturday.

It is an all-McLaren second row with Lando Norris third and Oscar Piastri fourth to cement the team’s drastic improvements in recent rounds, while Zhou Guanyu recorded the best qualifying result of his F1 career in fifth.

Further back Sergio Perez will attack from ninth place, while Carlos Sainz in 11th and George Russell in 18th will also be aiming to climb the order after a disappointing qualifying.

Daniel Ricciardo makes his F1 race return starting 13th for AlphaTauri, after replacing Nyck de Vries for the rest of the season coming into this weekend.

Live Standings

Stopped

Summary

  • Summary
    • Max Verstappen wins F1's Hungarian Grand Prix for Red Bull's 12th consecutive victory
    • Norris finishes second for McLaren, with Perez in third
    • Hamilton misses out on the podium in fourth
    • Leclerc demoted one place to seventh after receiving five-second penalty for pitlane speeding
    • Both Alpines were taken out at Turn 1 after an incident which also involved Zhou and Ricciardo
  • Leaderboard
    1. Verstappen, Red Bull
    2. Norris, McLaren
    3. Perez, Red Bull
    4. Hamilton, Mercedes
    5. Piastri, McLaren
    6. Russell, Mercedes
    7. Leclerc, Ferrari
    8. Sainz, Ferrari
    9. Alonso, Aston Martin
    10. Stroll, Aston Martin

Live Text

Sort by
Oldest first
Green flag
Good afternoon one and all! The dish of the day is a scorching hot Hungarian GP and it is coming right up.
The drivers are making their way to the grid to get a feel of conditions ahead of lights out in a little under 45 minutes. So let's recap the biggest talking points so far.
The fight for pole was a peak 2021 vintage as Hamilton grabbed his 104th career pole by 0.003s from Verstappen. Given Mercedes' current struggles it came as a surprise, but the team was also on pole here last year.
Breaking news
Here's how Hamilton overcame Verstappen:

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/what-gps-data-reveals-about-the-way-hamilton-beat-verstappen-to-hungary-f1-pole-/10498992/
There was also disgruntlement about the trial of the tyre allocation this weekend, down from 13 to 11 sets per driver, while in Q1 drivers used hards, then mediums in Q2 and softs in Q3. But, unsurprisingly, it was those who underdelivered in qualifying who complained the loudest.
Breaking news
While off the track, F1 teams look set to discuss a potential return of engine equalisation following concerns about performance disparity between manufacturers. Here's the full story: 
https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/f1-teams-to-discuss-engine-equalisation-move/10498907/

Right, on to the main course. Today's race is expected to be a two-stopper in the hot temperatures with most drivers steering clear of the softs and their melty complexion.

 
And just because we haven't mentioned him yet, a certain Australian driver makes his F1 race comeback today starting 13th for AlphaTauri. Some of you may have heard of him.
 
Sun
It is predicted to be a very hot race, with air temperature already above 28C and the corresponding track temperature threatening to breach 50C. Unlike another sporting event currently happening in Manchester, there is no chance of rain.
A very sombre rendition of the Hungarian national anthem is played at the front of the grid. Needs more pizzazz.
With the anthem and frivolities over, the drivers are making their way to the cars. Just under 10 minutes to go until we get this thing going.
Tyres! Perez and Russell start on hards, Sainz, Stroll, Gasly and Tsunoda start on softs and the rest start on mediums. That's quite a mixed pick.
But all of the top eight are starting on the same medium tyre compound so it is an even fight on the first laps at the front.
The formation lap is under way and all are away without a fuss. Time to get the tyre and brake temperatures up, not that they'll need to do too much - it is boiling.
Hamilton leads around the F1 pack to the grid for the 104th time in his career. So you could say he's had plenty of practice with this.
Lights green
Here we go! Verstappen leads into Turn 1 and then both McLarens charge by Hamilton to push him to fourth!
Crash
There's carnage in the midpack at Turn 1 with both Alpines taking damage.
Verstappen leads from Piastri and Norris, then it is Hamilton who has both Ferraris behind him. Sainz made a mega start on the softs going from 11th to sixth on the first lap.
After his brilliant qualifying it was a terrible opening lap for Zhou, who drops from fifth to 16th. Russell meanwhile has moved up five positions to 13th on the hard tyres.
Pit stop
Gasly pits with heavy damage to the right-hand sidepod and no rubber left on his right-rear tyre. Game over.
Verstappen must have been dreaming of that start last night, he's already over a second clear of Piastri with Hamilton stuck behind both McLarens at the end of lap two.
Pit stop
Ocon into the pits too. "Think this is going to be terminal," is the message over the radio to the 2021 winner. Nightmare start for Alpine.
Stopwatch
Hamilton apologises for his sluggish start over team radio but is reminded it'll be a long hot race ahead. Verstappen's 1m24.542s extends his lead to 1.6s at the start of the fifth lap.
Not only did Zhou get a tardy start, but he was the trigger for the first corner mayhem. He punts Ricciardo into Ocon, who then got sideways and was powerless to avoid a fast-starting Gasly. Ocon rode over the his team-mate's sidepod before coming to a rest. Ricciardo was delayed by all that too and runs last.
Perez is piling the pressure on Alonso for seventh place. The Aston has medium tyres, the Red Bull hard tyres remember. Will DRS make the difference? Alonso has form for stout defending at the Hungaroring though - remember his role in helping Ocon's win in 2021?
Another driver to get a tardy start was Bottas, although perhaps not helped by having to immediately jink around his team-mate off the line. He's dropped from seventh to 12th and is in the train of cars bottled up behind Alonso.
All of a sudden the gaps are expanding to over a second between all of the frontrunners, and we suspect a lot of tyre conservation is already under way. Could any of them try to target a one-stopper?
Bottas's recovery may be helped by deteriorating tyres on the two cars immediately in front of them. The start chaos and strong launches on soft rubber have propelled Stroll to 10th and Tsunoda to 11th from 14th and 17th respectively, but they'll start to feel the effects of this hot weather sooner than others.
Verstappen is doing Verstappen things, as he inching away from Piastri at the front. The gap is up to 2.4s on lap eight and this race is really falling into his hands.
Alonso held Perez off gallantly, but could do little to resist the Red Bull using DRS into Turn 1 as the Mexican moves up to seventh.
Pit stop
Albon has ducked into the pits to trade his mediums for hard tyres. Lap nine is fairly early doors to make a stop. Does Williams have a strategy ploy up its sleeve?
Perez's next task will be to catch the two Ferraris, which will add another headache for the Italian squad with Sainz, on softs, stuck behind team-mate Leclerc on mediums.
Pit stop
Stroll, Tsunoda and Bottas immediately respond on lap 10. It's a slow stop for Tsunoda, who loses out to Bottas and also to Albon. All three take hards.
A delay in changing the left-front was costly there for Tsunoda, while Zhou also has a sluggish stop at 9.7s to take on hards.
Quote
"Switch position Sierra," Sainz is told over team radio. "I think it is too early," is Sainz's reply. That sounds like a steering wheel switch request rather than the position change.
Bottas sets the fastest lap on his fresh hard tyres. But pitting on the same lap as Stroll, who had the soft tyres, doesn't appear to have worked as he's still stuck behind the Aston.
Verstappen's lead has expanded to 4.8s over Piastri on lap 13, while behind them nobody is making too many inroads to the gaps to those ahead.
Pit stop
Ricciardo remains at the back of the queue of the drivers yet to stop. But he moves up a place to 12th as Sargeant comes in, the Williams rookie dropping to the back of the pack.
Piastri is told he can up his pace having successfully achieved his tyre management phase. Not the most sexy of updates but for McLaren's race it will be critical when trying to keep ahead of Hamilton.

By: Autosport Staff

Published: