Andrea Stella: "A superb 1-2 finish in Hungary delivered the 200th win for the McLaren Formula 1 Team this weekend, which myself as Team Principal, Zak as CEO and the entire team are proud and privileged to have delivered following in the footsteps of our founder Bruce McLaren.
"While the two-stop strategy was slightly faster in today's race, Lando was able to deviate to a one-stop due to his track position. This allowed him to do something different to the other drivers and manage the Medium tyre in the first stint and then the Hard tyre very well until the end of the race.
"Oscar can be proud of his race weekend, he was very fast and it was close at the end in the challenge for first. Both Lando and Oscar pushed hard to make the most of their opportunities and it could have finished one way or the other.
"Overall, today's race was firm but very fair with both drivers demonstrating the values of what it means to be a McLaren team member. We head into the summer break celebrating four consecutive 1-2 finishes which is a great achievement. Thank you to the entire team both at track and back in Woking, you all played your part in victory 200!"
Laurent Mekies: The Team have tried everything, but the underlying performance was missing to be able to fight at the top end, we will spend time reflecting during the break.
"It has been a very tough weekend from the first lap in FP1 and the race reflected this. We have certainly missed something quite key this weekend and looked at many things with both Yuki and Max, to try to get back to the level we had and get the car in the right window. The Team have tried everything, but the underlying performance was missing to be able to fight at the top end. The truth is we didn't have the performance so when we pitted Max wasn't ultimately going to be defining to the race result, we just did not have the lap time we needed in the car. Yuki was in a similar situation and starting from the pitlane meant he was never able to really make an impact on the field. What is important this weekend is that we have collected enough data to get out of similar situations in the future and make a positive step forward. These weekends are the ones you learn a lot from and that is what we will do. We will spend time reflecting during the break and we don't underestimate the work ahead of us, we have many, many talented people in the Team to overcome this and we want to come back with a different level of performance after the summer break."
Charles had a good start on new Medium tyres and kept the lead off the start line, while Lewis, on Hards, lost two places. On lap 20 Charles pitted for new Hards, the stop taking 2 seconds dead. Further down the order, Lewis struggled to overtake in DRS traffic. On lap 29 Max Verstappen passed Lewis at turn 4, the Englishman having to run off the track. The episode would be looked at after the race by the stewards. On lap 40 Charles made a second pit stop, fitting new Hards and rejoining fourth. From this point on, a problem developed on Charles' chassis which cost him 2 seconds per lap. Lewis pitted for his only stop two laps later, fitting new Mediums. Because of the chassis issue, Charles dropped back and was overtaken on lap 50 by Oscar Piastri. Over the last 10 laps Charles fought hard to keep George Russell behind but had to give best with 8 laps remaining, to finish fourth, while Lewis crossed the line in 12th place.
Fred Vasseur:> The weekend went pretty well at first, in the practice sessions and in quali. In the race, the first two stints of Charles were under control, the first especially was very good, Charles pulling out a gap over the McLarens and Russell. He came under a bit more pressure in the second stint and then in the final one, we were losing two seconds a lap. Now we need to understand what happened on the chassis that made the car so hard for Charles to drive. At least we got the points for fourth place because there was even some doubt that Charles could finish the race. I can understand perfectly his frustration as we were covering Piastri and he had the performance in his pocket to do it. As for Lewis, starting on Hards, he lost a couple of places and that put him in traffic in a very long DRS train, which is the worst possible scenario. That's what decided us to go for a one-stop with him. Looking at the positives, of course yesterday we got our first pole position of the season and for the first part of the race we were matching McLaren in terms of pace and we had a 15 second lead over Russell. But then we lost everything and didn't have the pace anymore so now we have to investigate why.
George Russell finished third and Kimi Antonelli P10 in Sunday's Hungarian Grand Prix. It was an encouraging end to the 'first half' of the season, with a changed rear suspension specification providing a more consistent car balance and a positive result. Starting P4, George made a good move around the outside into turn one to pass the McLaren of Lando Norris. From there, he ran a traditional Medium/Hard/Hard two-stop race. Norris one-stopped to take victory but George passed the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc in the closing stages to take his sixth podium of the season. Kimi meanwhile bounced back from qualifying P15 to drive a strong race to claim the final point in P10. After also starting on the Medium tyre, he pitted for the Hard compound and ran that to the end of the race having gained track position on his rivals. He defended on significantly older rubber from Isack Hadjar and Lewis Hamilton to claim the final spot in the top 10.
Toto Wolff, Team Principal & CEO: This has been a positive weekend for the team here in Hungary. We reverted on the rear suspension specification and that helped provide a much more stable and balanced car for the drivers. They had more confidence in it and that was reflected in their pace. It was solid throughout and that helped George score a well-deserved podium and put Kimi in a position to hold off several cars for a point, despite being on nearly 50 lap old tyres.
This result and our overall performance here at the Hungaroring give us a direction for the rest of the season. As our focus turns to 2026, we won't have any more major aerodynamic upgrades to bring to the track. Nevertheless, there are refinements we can make as we look to optimise the car we have. That will be useful as we look to end 2025 in a positive way and fight for second in the Constructors' Championship over these final 10 races of the year.
Andrew Shovlin, Trackside Engineering Director: We leave the Hungaroring pleased with a solid result and encouraged by the improvement we have seen with the W16. George, starting P4, fought hard with Norris throughout the first two stints, showing good pace throughout. The McLaren was ultimately able to make the one stop work and with it, take victory. George's speed though helped us close down the Ferrari of Leclerc and pick him off for P3 and the podium in the closing stages.
With Kimi, the first half of the race was frustrating as he was stuck in a train of cars all on different compounds. We opted to stop him to claim some free air, but he soon found himself back in the pack. It is to his great credit that by extending on the Hard tyre he opened the possibility of claiming the final point in P10. Some clever driving on near 50 lap old tyres held off Hadjar and Hamilton in what was an impressive final stint.
We now head into the mandatory summer shutdown period. When we return after the break, we will be looking to optimise the W16 and build on this confidence building weekend when we return in Zandvoort. There are still 10 races to go, and we want to end the season on a high. We are also in a battle for second in the Constructors' Championship and we will be doing everything we can to claim this by the season finale in Abu Dhabi.
Mike Krack, Chief Trackside Officer: "Fifth and seventh place in Budapest is a good way to wrap up the first half of the year. Fernando and Lance have been excellent all weekend and converted our strong qualifying result into important points. They both made the one-stop strategy work and did a great job of managing the Medium tyres during the long first stint. It has been our most competitive weekend this season so well done to the entire team for the great preparation and execution. It is always nice to start the summer break off the back of a good result and these 16 points will give everybody in the team a boost. We will take a few weeks' holiday and come back ready to build on this result in the races to come."
Pierre started from P16 on New Hards, finished P19. Pit-Stop on Lap 32 for New Mediums. Fastest Lap: 1min 21.433secs.
Franco started from P14 on New Mediums, finished P18. Pit-Stops on Lap 13 for New Hards and Lap 35 for New Hards. Fastest Lap: 1min 20.827secs.
Flavio Briatore: "A disappointing end result and a difficult weekend overall for the team, which has really highlighted areas of weakness in our car. It has been a tough season so far and the aim for the remainder of the year is to try and turnaround our current position. It is a big challenge as all our focus is on 2026 and capitalising on the opportunity of the new regulations. Now is a critical phase in our work for next year and I know the team at Enstone is making positive headway on that project. I expect everyone to come back from the summer break with a lot of determination and fighting spirit, giving it our all to finish the season as strongly as possible and make sure we're ready for 2026."
MoneyGram Haas F1 Team finished with Esteban Ocon 16th, while Oliver Bearman was forced to retire at the Hungarian Grand Prix, held Sunday at the Hungaroring.
Esteban Ocon started from 17th on the grid, having been promoted one spot by a penalty for Yuki Tsunoda, and did so on the Pirelli P Zero Yellow medium tires. Ocon moved up two places on the opening lap to run 15th before pitting on lap 14 for White hard tires. Ocon emerged towards the rear of the field but executed a one-stop strategy to run on the fringes of the top 10. However, on older tires Ocon ceded places to two-stopping rivals, and finished the race in 16th place.
Bearman took the start from 11th, also on medium tires, and moved into the top 10 through the course of the opening lap. Bearman ran a lengthy first stint before pitting on lap 30 for hard tires, filtering back into the pack in 17th place, but on fresher tires than his rivals. However, Bearman's prospective charge was halted when his VF-25 sustained rear floor damage, and the team elected to retire the car from the race.
MoneyGram Haas F1 Team holds ninth position in the Constructors' Championship, on 35 points.
Ayao Komatsu, Team Principal: "We didn't show what we should be showing today. With how quick the car is, where we should've qualified, and the race pace of Bortoleto, there's no reason we can't do that. I'm pretty sure Ollie's car was overbalanced, there's no way that degradation from Ollie was the limit of the car or driver. We retired Ollie as he damaged the floor at Turn 4 again, it's the third time this weekend, so we need to look at that also. On Esteban's side, we need to look at our processes as clearly we were too early with our pit stop for a one-stop strategy. The only way is up, the car is quick, and we have two drivers with potential - we've just struggled putting it together for the last three races. We need the summer break, refocus, look at ourselves and then think about how we can deliver."
James Vowles, Team Principal: A difficult weekend. We need to make sure that we learn and understand why we can be strong on one circuit and poor in others. It's a pattern that's been consistent over years, but we need to break out of it in order for us to be able to move up the grid. I'm really proud of what the team has achieved in the first half of the season. It's great to be in fifth in the Championship. However, we have to recognise it will be a close fought battle to the end of the year and we have to maximise every opportunity that comes towards us. Well done to everyone on the team, Alex and Carlos for everything we've achieved in the first half of the year. It's time for everyone to enjoy a break and come back refreshed in a few weeks.
Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber concluded the first part of the season before the summer break on a high with a strong performance at the Hungarian Grand Prix. Gabriel Bortoleto secured his best-ever Formula 1 result with a sixth-place finish, adding eight valuable points to the team's tally. Team-mate Nico Hulkenberg delivered a determined drive from the back of the grid, climbing through the field to finish 13th after a challenging race.
With today's result, the team's total rises to 51 points, placing Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber seventh in the Constructors' Championship. The midfield battle remains fiercely contested, and the team will use the upcoming summer break to recharge before returning with renewed determination for the second half of the season, aiming to maintain the competitive form shown so far.
Jonathan Wheatley, Team Principal: "Today's result is a testament to the resilience and determination of the entire team. Despite a challenging start to the weekend with reliability issues in FP1, the team pulled together and delivered an outstanding performance. Today's result marks our sixth consecutive race finishing in the points, an achievement that reflects the consistency and competitiveness we've been building throughout the season.
"Gabi's drive was nothing short of exceptional. He secured P6 - his best result so far in his early Formula One career - and earned a well-deserved Driver of the Day award. Nico also showed incredible race craft, especially in the opening laps. Although he eventually finished P13, it was one of his strongest drives, and his performance deserves respect even if it didn't end in points.
"This season has been defined by incredibly tight margins across the entire field, and we fully expect the second half to be just as fiercely competitive. Now it's time for some well-deserved rest - both for everyone at the factory and for the team at the track. We're already looking forward to the remainder of the season and the challenges that lie ahead."
The Hungarian Grand Prix ended in a one-two finish for McLaren, its fourth in a row and the sixth this season, its 56th in total. Lando Norris secured the team's 200th win, second only to Ferrari on 248 on the all-time winner's list. Completing an all-anglophone podium in the fortieth edition of the race at the Hungaroring was George Russell, third behind Oscar Piastri. This was the Mercedes driver's sixth podium finish of the season, the 21st of his career.
All three compounds were used in the race. On the starting grid, the vast majority of drivers (15) went with the Medium. The trio of Albon, Sainz and Hulkenberg chose the Soft, while Hamilton and Gasly opted for the Hard. In terms of strategy, drivers were pretty evenly split with ten going for a one-stop and nine pitting twice. The longest stint came courtesy of Esteban Ocon who did 55 laps on the Hard, while Gabriel Bortoleto and Liam Lawson went furthest on the Medium (40 laps) with Yuki Tsunoda completing 17 on the Soft.
Mario Isola: "The first part of the season came to an end with a very interesting race, with three drivers fighting for the win. In the end, victory went to Norris, beating team-mate Piastri by a whisker. The two McLaren drivers were on different strategies, the Englishman going for a one-stop, the Australian two. On paper the two-stop was quicker, but the cooler, by about ten degrees, temperatures compared to Friday free practice, slightly closed the gap between the two options, also in part because thermal degradation was reduced for all three compounds compared to what we saw two days ago. Honestly, we still felt the two-stop was best, you just need to look at the gap that Alonso built up, in fifth, compared to Russell. The exception was Norris, who opted to only stop once, after finding himself fifth after the opening lap. The small performance difference between the Medium and Hard along with the clear difficulty in overtaking with cars running pretty similar race pace, made it worth risking an unconventional strategy because at that point, he had nothing to lose.
All things considered, today we still managed to have a race in which different strategies were in play for the win, which made the second half of the race particularly exciting from a tactical point of view, even if not that spectacular in absolute terms.
Before we too go on the summer break following a very busy first part of the season, we still have one more task on track, here at the Hungaroring. On Tuesday 5 and Wednesday 6 August, we will run a test session aimed at 2026 tyre development. On the menu, validating constructions, as these must be homologated by 1st September and development of the softest compounds, especially from C3 to C5. Supporting us in this on the first day will be McLaren with Norris at the wheel and Racing Bulls with Lawson driving. On the second day Ferrari will run Leclerc, while Alpine is doing both days, the first with Aron at the wheel, the second with both Colapinto and Gasly."
