Pole and Panic: A 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix Recap

A deep sigh. That’s how I summarize this year’s Hungarian Grand Prix. The race before the summer break should have been a weekend of redemption for Ferrari. Instead, it may go down as the team’s most revealing and unnerving hot mess weekend of the season.

Let’s cut straight to the chase, shall we?

Hungarian Grand Prix: A Weekend of Disappointment

QUALIFYING

I cannot emphasize how TIGHT this session was. It was a genuine knife fight under the Hungarian sun. Charles Leclerc emerged victorious with one of the most precise and defiant pole laps of the season. He delivered an upset to both McLarens, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. Given how rough the season has been for Ferrari, it was a victory the team desperately needed.

Lewis Hamilton, on the other hand, was not having a good time. With no rhythm and no fresh tires left for a final run, the seven-time world champion was knocked out of Q2. His reaction? A heart-breaking and self-deprecating rant.

THE RACE

Leclerc led the race with the rejuvenation of a man who found his groove back. He held his own through McLaren’s early undercut attempts. He preserved his tires with surgical precision and looked well on his way to a long-overdue victory. Ferrari looked like they might have finally gotten their act together with at least one of the drivers…

…Until Lap 40 arrived.

The car dropped pace, not gradually but alarmingly. With sector times collapsing, the radio crackled. “This car is undriveable,” Leclerc snapped.

What followed was a slow-motion fall from grace. The Monagesque driver was overtaken by Piastri, passed by Norris, and slapped with a 5-second penalty for clumsily trying to block George Russell. Leclerc finished in fourth place.

While Leclerc fought a losing battle up front, Hamilton languished as he found himself stuck in traffic. He was locked in DRS trains and battling a car he’s still trying to bond with. His pace in clean air looked promising, but it came too late. His final result? A pointless P12.

Post-race analysis revealed that Ferrari had a mysterious chassis issue and a sudden loss of downforce that the team couldn’t trace. Whatever it was, this isn’t the Ferrari anyone imagined this season.

This was honestly a painful weekend to watch. I didn’t particularly care for who won at the front. But while we’re at it, I might as well relay that information - it was another McLaren 1-2 with Lando Norris as the winner and Oscar Piastri in second. George Russell finished in third. Ferrari being a hot mess overshadowed all of that because their performance was that underwhelming.

FERRARI'S STRUGGLES

Here’s the thing - Ferrari should not be flopping at this rate. They’re in second place in the Constructors’ Championship with a car that seems fast enough for pole yet fragile enough to fall apart mid-race. They have two world-class drivers, including a seven-time world champion, who are increasingly losing their marbles on and off the track. The team has a principal who believes in the long game but needs to address the immediate short-term problem.

CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS

Ferrari remains in second place at 260 points while McLaren maintains its dominant first place at 559 points. Mercedes is still in third at 236 points, and Red Bull sulks in fourth at 194 points.

The Papaya lockout continues in the Drivers’ Championship with Oscar Piastri leading at 284 points and Lando Norris in second at 275 points. The fight for the title is between these two. If they keep the momentum going after the break, a winner will have to be determined at the last race in Abu Dhabi.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Summer break may have started, but the problems plaguing Ferrari remain. Whether the issues behind the scenes are strategy, technical, or a bit of both, the team does need to get its act together. Luckily for them and the Tifosi, summer break will grant an opportunity for Hamilton, Leclerc, the team, and the fans to get their ducks in a row. Here’s to hoping that the coins of luck flip in the team’s favor at the end of the month.

The next race after the break will bring us to the Dutch Grand Prix - Verstappen territory, but let’s not think too hard about this now. This is a time for everyone, fans included, to rest and to try not to think about racing for a few weeks.

That doesn’t mean that silly season and chatter will cease, though. Races may come and go, but tea? Tea is forever.

You’ll be hearing from me soon.

Coverage of the 2025 Formula One season will continue with the Dutch Grand Prix here on Vintage & Coupe.