Edd Straw's 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix F1 Driver Rankings

The 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix saw a fierce battle for victory, but behind the headlines, several drivers showcased exceptional or struggling performances that influenced their weekend rankings.

Why it matters This ranking assesses individual driver performance across the entire weekend, considering pace, racecraft, consistency, and how close they came to maximizing their car's potential, rather than just race results.

Top Performances

• Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber): Started 7th, Finished 6th. An outstanding weekend. He consistently pulled his Q2-pace Sauber into Q3 and drove a faultless race, battling Max Verstappen early and securing his best F1 finish. He extracted everything from the improving Sauber.
• Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin): Started 5th, Finished 5th. Made the most of a vastly stronger Aston Martin despite a back injury. He showed strong pace, flirting with pole, and drove an excellent race, managing pace and avoiding needless battles.

Key Contenders & Context

• Charles Leclerc (Ferrari): Started 1st, Finished 4th. On top form, securing a shock pole with an upgraded Ferrari. He drove well initially but couldn't maintain position as Ferrari's issues emerged. An overly aggressive defense against George Russell earned him a penalty.
• Oscar Piastri (McLaren): Started 2nd, Finished 2nd. Justifiably frustrated to lose out to Lando Norris. He narrowly shaded Norris in qualifying and held track position early. While his two-stop strategy was logical, it ultimately cost him the win.
• George Russell (Mercedes): Started 4th, Finished 3rd. Revitalized by a suspension-spec change, Russell was happier with his Mercedes. He executed a strong two-stopper, picking off a fading Leclerc to secure third place.
• Lando Norris (McLaren): Started 3rd, Finished 1st. Circumstances presented the opportunity to win. He executed his one-stop strategy superbly, but underachieving slightly in qualifying and losing ground at the start allowed him to take the strategic gamble that led to victory.

Mixed Fortunes

• Lance Stroll (Aston Martin): Started 6th, Finished 7th. Not quite at Alonso's level, but close. One of his strongest weekends relative to Alonso, matching him in qualifying. His race pace was slightly off, losing a place to Bortoleto.
• Liam Lawson (RB): Started 9th, Finished 8th. Qualified decently, raced excellently. Won the intra-team battle against Isack Hadjar in Q3 and drove a strong race, notably one-stopping and covering Max Verstappen in the closing stages.
• Max Verstappen (Red Bull): Started 8th, Finished 9th. Grip troubles didn't allow him to do his usual magic. He struggled with a lack of grip all weekend, leading to an early pitstop and getting stuck in traffic. He couldn't sustain progress and fell behind Lawson.
• Carlos Sainz (Williams): Started 13th, Finished 14th. A decent weekend in a limited Williams. Despite a seemingly disappointing qualifying, he performed well given the car's pace, outperforming Alex Albon. His race was impacted by a clash with Pierre Gasly.

Underperformers & Struggles

• Isack Hadjar (RB): Started 10th, Finished 11th. A better Q3 would likely have meant points. He looked quicker than Lawson but an untidy Q3 lap cost him.
• Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes): Started 15th, Finished 10th. Q2 cost him badly, but his confidence is back. A deleted lap in Q2 severely impacted his starting position, though he drove a good race to recover points.
• Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull): Started 20th, Finished 17th. Narrowed deficit to Verstappen encouraging. A pitlane start due to power unit changes hampered his race, but his qualifying pace was closer to Verstappen's than expected.
• Nico Hülkenberg (Sauber): Started 18th, Finished 13th. A frustrating weekend. He struggled with balance in qualifying and a jump start penalty compounded track position issues.
• Alex Albon (Williams): Started 19th, Finished 15th. At least made gains in the race. A Q1 nightmare due to tire preparation issues, but he made some progress in the race's early stages.
• Franco Colapinto (Alpine): Started 14th, Finished 18th. "Not a good race in general." His pace was promising at times, but a poor start and slow pit stops ruined his race.
• Oliver Bearman (Haas): Started 11th, Finished DNF. Speed undermined by errors. He was the faster Haas driver but errors, including floor damage, led to his retirement.
• Pierre Gasly (Alpine): Started 16th, Finished 19th. Fought hard in a losing cause. Struggled with set-up, incurred front wing damage, and a penalty for a clash with Carlos Sainz dropped him to last.
• Esteban Ocon (Haas): Started 17th, Finished 16th. Qualifying struggle meant points were never on. He couldn't handle the car's setup compared to Bearman, hindering his qualifying, and a slow pit stop affected his race.
• Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari): Started 12th, Finished 12th. Badly needs the August break. A disappointing qualifying, marked by unforced errors, and early race losses left him with a terrible ranking for the weekend.