Monday in Formula 1 was marked by the repercussions of the Hungarian GP, with Lando Norris celebrating his first victory in 2026 and Ferrari acknowledging that they wasted a real opportunity at the Hungaroring. Max Verstappen also revealed that he finished second despite facing damage to the car during the race.
Read more F1: Verstappen explains overtaking process on Hamilton in Hungary
Norris stated that he felt “on another level” during the race, won with a 15-second advantage over Verstappen. Although he admitted that the car was still difficult to drive at times, the Brit highlighted the pace and tire management as decisive points to regain the lead after losing ground at the start.
At Ferrari, the feeling was the opposite. Lewis Hamilton assessed that the team “should have won” after showing strength in practice and qualifying, but ended 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 excessive oversteer, degradation, and body damage to the RB22, but still managed to bring Red Bull to second place. Meanwhile, Kimi Antonelli, third place and championship leader with a 50-point advantage over Hamilton, received praise from Norris and Verstappen for the consistency shown in the first half of the season.
Read more F1: Mekies indicates reduction of Red Bull updates in 2026
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 Program. The professional left Mercedes after 11 years and takes over the role previously held by Helmut Marko, reporting directly to the team principal and CEO, Laurent Mekies.
Read more F1: Norris and Verstappen point to Antonelli as one of the highlights of 2026
