Gabriel Bortoleto arrives at the Hungarian Grand Prix on a high note in Formula 1 after finishing the Belgian Grand Prix in eighth place and scoring points for the second consecutive race. The Brazilian is aiming to confirm at the Hungaroring the progress of Audi ahead of the sport’s summer break.
The result in Spa reinforced Bortoleto’s consistency, as he managed the pressure from Arvid Lindblad in the closing laps and added another four points. The standings will be especially important in Hungary, where overtaking opportunities are fewer and a strong grid position can bring Audi closer to the top 10 once again.
In the battle for the title, Kimi Antonelli continues to widen his grip on the season. The Italian has won six of the first ten races and leads by 45 points over Lewis Hamilton, a performance that even Toto Wolff was surprised by given the maturity and composure shown by the driver in his second year in F1.
The driver market also took a new turn. According to journalist Ted Kravitz, Max Verstappen is expected to remain with Red Bull in 2027, as McLaren is satisfied with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, while Mercedes bets on Antonelli and George Russell.
Off the track, Mohammed Ben Sulayem confirmed that the FIA is discussing with teams, manufacturers and drivers a possible return of V8 engines after 2030, with sustainable fuels and lower costs. For Hungary, McLaren will bring a new floor and will have Leonardo Fornaroli in Piastri’s car during TL1, while Aston Martin is racing to complete version 2.0 of the AMR26, possibly with insufficient spare parts.
