Monday in Formula 1 was marked by the repercussions of the Hungarian Grand Prix, with Lando Norris celebrating his first win of 2026 and Ferrari acknowledging that they squandered a real opportunity at the Hungaroring. Max Verstappen also revealed that he finished in second place despite dealing with damage to the car during the race.
Norris said he felt “on a different level” during the race, which he won with a 15-second margin over Verstappen. Although he admitted the car was still difficult to drive at times, the Brit highlighted pace and tire management as decisive factors in reclaiming the lead after losing ground early on.
In Ferrari, the sentiment was the opposite. Lewis Hamilton assessed that the team “should have won” after showing strength in practice and in qualifying, but finishing only fourth and fifth. Fred Vasseur also acknowledged that the execution was poor and that the team made many mistakes, although he defended the decision to pit Hamilton during the virtual safety-car period.
Verstappen explained that he suffered from rear-end instability, degradation and damage to the RB22’s bodywork, but still managed to bring Red Bull to second place. Meanwhile, Kimi Antonelli, third place and leader of the championship with a 50-point gap over Hamilton, received praise from Norris and Verstappen for the consistency shown in the first half of the season.
Another topic that gained prominence was the collision between Carlos Sainz and Oscar Piastri. The Spaniard had attributed the incident to a failure in the blue flag system, but onboard camera footage showed that he passed eight flags and was also warned by radio about the approaching McLaren driver. Sainz received a five-second penalty.
Off the track, Red Bull confirmed Gwen Lagrue as the new Director of the Young Drivers Programme. The professional left Mercedes after 11 years and takes on the role previously led by Helmut Marko, reporting directly to the team’s chief and CEO, Laurent Mekies.
