4 things to learn from Hungarian Grand Prix

• Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix was thrilling as Max Verstappen continued his winning streak
• The Red Bull constructor has won 12 straight races which is a stunning record for the F1 driver
• He has won 44 races so far which gives credence to the fact that Red Bull is the fastest car on the grid

Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix was thrilling as Max Verstappen continued his winning streak and made Mercedes look like an F2 team racing in F1.

The Red Bull constructor has won 12 straight races which is a stunning record for the F1 driver. He has won 44 races so far which gives credence to the fact that Red Bull is the fastest car on the grid yet.  Despite the very obvious winner, the Hungaroring has provided enough of food for thought for Formula One fans, and it’s especially good news for McLaren.

Here are things F1 pundits picked from the Hungarian Grand Prix.

LANDO NORRIS IS A STAR IN THE MAKING

Lando Norris. Photo/Planet Sport

McLaren driver Lando Norris is now 23 years old and is surprisingly establishing his dominance in the F1 circuit. He is closely trailing Verstappen in the last two races of the season which is impressive. He started the race in third place behind Verstappen and Piastri, but he still manoeuvred through the various changes in position to finish second and earn back-to-back podium finishes for the first time in his career.

He placed seventh in the driver’s championship last year, and while he is now in eighth place this year, two consecutive second-place finishes indicate that he has overcome his shaky early 2023 form.  Norris had failed to finish higher than sixth in any of his first eight races and ended outside the points in five of them.

He finished fourth in Austria and won runners-up awards in the Silverstone British Grand Prix and the Hungarian Grand Prix too.

PODIUM DRAMA

There were no awkward interactions under the scorching Hungarian sun, and Terry Crews, an actor, received much appreciation for his cordial conversation with Brundle. This resulted in a change in the focus being on the drivers, yet Lando Norris was still there to unintentionally stir up more controversy, this time near the finish line of the race.

However, on the podium, Norris popped open his champagne for coming in second, but the ricochet was so forceful that it sent Verstappen’s trophy into the air and scattered shards of it all over the elevated platform. The £40,000 pink porcelain trophy was designed to honor the latest Barbie movie, but perhaps F1 will need to consider more stringent prizes in the future.

MAX VERSTAPPEN LEWIS HAMILTON RIVARLY HOTS UP

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton and Red Bull’s Verstappen were in the top row for the first time since Abu Dhabi in 2021. The aftermath of this still pumps bad blood since then.

Hungarian Grand Prix. Photo/Agencia EFE

What’s more is that Verstappen and Hamilton got into it once again at the Hungarian Grand Prix although there was no one-on-one duel between these two F1 drivers. Hamilton said Verstappen ran him wide which gave Norris the chance to overtake him.

Getting to pole position once more was a step in the right direction for Hamilton, who has acknowledged that the last 18 months haven’t been his best. Fans will be hoping that he’ll be up there with Max, sparking the competition we all want to see.

OSCAR PIASTRI IS A FORCE AT MCLAREN

Oscar Piastri, an Australian driver who joined McLaren at the start of the 2023 season, had a troubling start when he retired on the first lap and then went eight races without placing in the top ten. He did, however, place fourth at Silverstone two weeks ago but improved once with a strong performance at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Norris took advantage of McLaren’s decision to pit during the Hungarian Grand Prix, and this denied Piastri his first podium finish. Additionally, in a season where no one can compete with the Austrian constructor, Sergio Perez moved his Red Bull from ninth on the grid to third.

If there were any doubts about Piastri heading into the season, he appears to be on track to close out the year by establishing his rightful place in the F1 top division.