Racing Lines
THE LATEST STORIES FROM THE PADDOCK
MCLAREN
PIASTRI UNFAZED BY NORRIS RIVALRY AHEAD OF HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX
Oscar Piastri has played down any tension with team mate Lando Norris, insisting his focus remains on winning races and extending his championship lead as the 2025 Formula 1 season heads to Hungary.
“The last few weekends, it has been Lando and I,” Piastri said ahead of the race weekend in Budapest. “I expect our competition to be strong and put up a good fight at certain tracks in the year. I'm not too concerned about what happens – I am just trying to win every race and extend my lead.”
With both drivers fighting at the front in recent rounds, questions around the intra-team battle at McLaren have grown louder. But the Australian remained calm about the dynamic, noting: “Lando and I are in the same car, so naturally he is going to be my most stern competition.”
The Hungaroring has been a strong venue for McLaren in recent seasons, and Piastri is hopeful the team can continue that form as the title race intensifies.
FERARRI
LECLERC WELCOMES VASSEUR EXTENSION
Charles Leclerc has expressed his delight at Ferrari team principal Frédéric Vasseur’s contract renewal (more on that coming up), calling it a vital step for the team’s long-term stability as they prepare for this weekend’s action.
“I’m really happy,” Leclerc said during Thursday’s press conference in Budapest. “The past month there were a few rumours, so to have the official news out – I’m really happy.
“Fred can leave his emotions aside and have a clear vision for the team, which is really important,” he added.
Ferrari arrive at the Hungaroring aiming to bounce back from recent inconsistency, with Leclerc hopeful that clarity at the top will help sharpen their title challenge in the second half of the season.
HAAS
OCON ON HAAS UPGRADES AND STRATEGY CALLS
Esteban Ocon remains confident in Haas’s recent progress but admitted the team has yet to extract the full potential from its updated package.
Reflecting on last weekend’s Sprint, Ocon said: “It was a good haul of points. But we didn’t optimise Qualifying and then the race was even worse.”
Despite the setbacks, Ocon is optimistic about Haas’ prospects at the Hungaroring. “We have a strong car and there’s no reason why we won’t go well here,” he stated.
Since introducing upgrades earlier this season, Haas have shown signs of improvement, but execution has proved inconsistent. “Since the update, we have done a step forward,” Ocon explained.
“But it is easier said than done to get in the right zone. And there could be some rain again – and it has been two races in a row where we didn’t maximise our strategy.”
ALPINE
GASLY ON ALPINE'S CHANCES OF IMPROVING ON P10
Pierre Gasly has admitted that Alpine’s chances of climbing the Teams’ Standings this season are limited, with the team already shifting its attention toward the 2026 regulations.
“The reality of it is the car has been the same since Barcelona and will remain the same until the end of the year, so you have to be objective and realistic on what is achievable,” Gasly said on media day ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend.
With Alpine currently languishing in 10th place, the Frenchman acknowledged that major gains in 2025 are unlikely. However, he remains optimistic about the team’s long-term vision. “I believe in the team, and that they will be able to give me a competitive car next year,” he stated.
“This season, this is what we have and it will be difficult to change the position we are in.”
TYRES
WHAT TYRES WILL THE TEAMS AND DRIVERS HAVE FOR THE GRAND PRIX?
For the Hungaroring, the Italian tyre manufacturer have opted to bring the C3, C4 and C5 compounds, an allocation that is one step softer for the mediums and softs that the teams had last time out in Belgium, whilst the hard compound is two steps softer.
Drivers will get two sets of the hard tyre (marked white), three sets of the medium tyre (marked yellow), and eight sets of the soft tyre (marked red), as well as access to the green intermediate tyre and the blue full wets, should they be required.
An extra set of softs is reserved for those who reach Q3 in Qualifying, while all drivers must use at least two different slick compounds during the race, providing the track is dry.
Pirelli add: “Usually, track evolution over the weekend is very high here, especially during the first two days.
“Graining could put in an appearance during Friday free practice, before gradually decreasing the more the track gets rubbered-in. High thermal degradation is a factor drivers will have to deal with even over a flying lap in Qualifying on the soft. If it is not looked after properly, it could create problems in the final two corners."
