Author: Miles Fast

Trailing Kimi Antonelli by 45 points might not look like a close title fight. The mood inside Ferrari tells a different story. For the first time since Lewis Hamilton pulled on the red race suit, his confidence matches the performance beneath him. The 7 time world champion arrived in Budapest sitting second in the standings with 159 points and 5 podiums. His breakthrough victory in Barcelona proved that Ferrari could give him more than occasional flashes of speed. More importantly, Hamilton now trusts the SF26 across different circuits. Ferrari challenged at Silverstone and Spa before setting the pace on Friday…

Fernando Alonso finished FP1 in 13th place, 2.4 seconds from the front. Lance Stroll completed only 11 laps before a left rear suspension problem sent him spinning and ended his day. Aston Martin then spent Friday protecting a limited stock of new components while its mechanics tried to understand a failure nobody expected. On the timing screens, it looked like more misery for a team that arrived in Hungary with only 1 point from the first 10 races. Inside the garage, the verdict was less brutal. Alonso began on hard tyres and spent much of the session collecting controlled aerodynamic…

Three races, two podiums and one heavily revised RB22 later, Max Verstappen finally has a car that responds when he turns the steering wheel. That does not mean Red Bull has solved its problems. Friday practice at the Hungaroring delivered another reminder of the distance between improvement and genuine victory pace. Verstappen finished second in the opening session, then slipped to fourth as Ferrari controlled the second hour. Still, the mood inside Red Bull has changed. The car that looked unsettled and short of speed during the opening months of the 2026 season has become a more credible threat since…

For 40 years, the Hungaroring’s tight corners were identified mainly by numbers. Now, every turn tells a story from Formula 1 history. Lewis Hamilton stands at the centre of the new map, with Turn 2 officially carrying the name of the circuit’s most successful driver. The seven-time World Champion has won eight Hungarian Grands Prix and claimed nine pole positions at a venue that has repeatedly brought out his best. Hamilton had previously chosen Turn 2 when asked which part of the Hungaroring he would want named after him. The circuit has now made that preference permanent as the Hungarian…

A restless, gusty Friday at the Hungaroring was supposed to catch everyone out. Instead, Lewis Hamilton found the balance he had been missing and drove Ferrari to the top of the FP2 timing sheet. His lap of 1:18.729 placed him 0.148 seconds ahead of Charles Leclerc and 0.499 seconds clear of Lando Norris. Max Verstappen followed in 4th, while George Russell completed the top 5 nearly 1 second behind Hamilton. Ferrari had already led FP1 through Leclerc, securing a clean Friday sweep for the Scuderia. That achievement carried more weight because fresh asphalt, unpredictable wind and a bumpy surface made…

Six wins. A 45-point championship lead. Kimi Antonelli arrives in Budapest as the man to beat after winning at Spa, where he handled a Safety Car restart and resisted Charles Leclerc to the flag. Yet the Hungaroring removes many of the advantages that define Belgium. The 4.381-km circuit has 14 corners, few meaningful straights and almost no time for a driver to reset. Rhythm matters more than outright power. Qualifying also carries extra weight because the clearest passing chances sit at Turn One and Turn Two. Still, pole position offers no guarantee. Every Hungarian Grand Prix from 2021 through 2025…

Fernando Alonso is approaching his 45th birthday while driving the slowest car on the Formula 1 grid. Aston Martin has collected only 1 point from the opening 10 rounds and sits 10th among 11 constructors. Neither Alonso nor Lance Stroll has escaped Q1 this season. At Spa, Alonso qualified 21st, finished 2 laps behind the winner and spent another race unable to fight anyone beyond his teammate. Hungary brings Aston Martin’s response. The team has produced a lighter chassis, a new nose, revised rear suspension and sweeping aerodynamic changes. Engineers are not searching for a few tenths. They are trying…

McLaren is bringing a major upgrade package to the Hungaroring, but Oscar Piastri will watch its first track test from the garage. The Australian will give up his MCL40 to reserve driver Leonardo Fornaroli during FP1 as the team completes one of its required rookie sessions. The timing creates a real problem. McLaren will introduce a redesigned floor and further aerodynamic parts as it tries to close a development gap to Mercedes and Ferrari. It will also test an experimental rear wing that changes position when Straight Mode is active. That wing is scheduled to run only in FP1 before…

When the green release light flashed inside the Ferrari pit box on lap 20, Lewis Hamilton began to move. At the same moment, a mechanic carrying a front wing adjustment tool stepped directly into the path of the car’s front right tyre. Hamilton hit the brakes almost immediately. The mechanic fell beside the Ferrari but escaped without injury. That split second became the defining moment of an already difficult Belgian Grand Prix for Hamilton. He reached the stop carrying minor car damage and a 5-second penalty from an opening-lap collision with George Russell. Ferrari then turned a routine tyre change…

Lewis Hamilton is not hiding from the mistake that damaged his Belgian Grand Prix. A heavy crash during final practice forced Ferrari into major repairs and left the 7 time world champion trying to rescue his weekend rather than control it. Hamilton recovered to finish 4th, served a 5-second penalty for contact with George Russell and moved into 2nd place in the championship. Yet the result still carried the weight of a missed opportunity. Charles Leclerc finished 2nd, only 1.952 seconds behind Mercedes winner Kimi Antonelli, confirming that Ferrari had brought a car capable of fighting at the front. The…