It was a race where, both before and during, the identity of the winner was the subject of much debate as Mercedes presented another compelling argument that they are ready to challenge Red Bull and Ferrari on a regular basis. But once again, this weekend added to Charles Leclerc’s ever-growing list of slip-ups, as Hungary joined Monaco and Britain in the column of potential victories thrown away by Ferrari’s confused strategies. Here are our driver ratings for a race in which the only retirement came with just a few laps to go. Max Verstappen: Not a perfect performance, but it’s hard to argue with what Verstappen produced on a day when he and Lewis Hamilton showed they remain undeniably in a class of their own. A two-place gain at the start was followed by passes for the Alpine duo and from the moment the Dutchman closed in on the top three, there seemed to be a certain sense of inevitability about the result. A spin which meant he had to pass Charles Leclerc for a second time was a tense moment, but the Red Bull driver was soon back in control and turned the screw further in what looked an increasingly futile championship chase for his rival at Ferrari. 9.5. Lewis Hamilton: This could have been a record ninth Hungaroring triumph but for a DRS problem in qualifying, the seven-time former World Champion admitted. Like last week, Hamilton made a strong start, making up two places, and a favorable strategy meant he was able to overtake Carlos Sainz and then George Russell to claim his fifth successive podium finish and second consecutive P2. There is a formidable challenge coming from the other side of the garage at Mercedes, but there is no doubt that Hamilton is responding to it admirably. 9.5. George Russell: A sense of déjà vu as the exact same French Grand Prix podium line-up was repeated seven days later, although you sense there may have been a tinge of disappointment for Russell after his first F1 pole. He did nothing wrong, holding off Carlos Sainz at the start, leading in the first stint and later making a fine move on Leclerc when Ferrari were struggling for pace on hard tyres. A weekend that will have greatly aided Russell’s development, with his further experience racing at the front sure to benefit him. 9. Carlos Sainz: Although not as impressive as last week, Sainz did not have as fast a car under him compared to France. This was more of a solid than spectacular effort and he didn’t seem to be on the same pace as Leclerc before his team-mate’s strategy went horribly wrong. 7.5. 🇭🇺 Today was a difficult day for the whole team. With these cooler temperatures and track conditions, we just weren’t fast enough to fight. There are a few things we need to learn from today. We will regroup and come back stronger after the summer break 👉 pic.twitter.com/QzkWxfDnap — Carlos Sainz (@Carlossainz55) July 31, 2022 Sergio Perez: Helmut Marko had said before the race that Perez was already on his summer break – with a new Red Bull contract already in the bag – and there was little evidence to dispel that theory in Hungary. Starting 11th, one place behind Verstappen, he was unable to make the same progress and finished fifth – just ahead of Leclerc. 7. Charles Leclerc: For the umpteenth time this season – as, it was a big chance for Leclerc to win anyway and, unlike Paul Ricard, this was certainly not his fault. There were shades of Silverstone without the Safety Car as he was out there on hard tires while all his rivals were on the “sexier” softs and mediums, which meant the Monegasque was powerless to stop himself from falling down the order. Goodness knows what will be going through Leclerc’s mind in the four weeks until the next race. 8.5. Lando Norris: Unsurprisingly, Norris passed Hamilton and Verstappen in quick succession, and from then on it was a matter of keeping the Alps behind him. This did not prove difficult given the French team’s questionable strategy, and even a slow first pit-stop proved no obstacle for the McLaren man. 8. Fernando Alonso: Leading off the laps, Alonso was unhappy with teammate Esteban Ocon’s defensive tactics in front of him early on – signs of cracks in the bromance? He eventually finished ahead of the Frenchman, so picking up a few points wasn’t the worst way to end his 41st birthday weekend. 7.5. Esteban Ocon: Like Alonso, Ocon was unfazed by Alpine’s decision to go with a single-stop strategy, having to put up with the hard tires for 46 laps. After starting an excellent P5, he was left behind by his colleague on a day of racing that never looked like reaching the heights of his only F1 success 12 months earlier. 7. Sebastian Vettel: Barring a major change of heart, we now know that this was Vettel’s last appearance in Hungary and it ended on a positive note for him, moving up to 10th in the closing stages from a starting position of 18th. He admittedly did so with the help of team orders and said afterwards that he was underestimating Ocon, with P9 a possibility if the race had lasted a few more laps. 7.5. Lance Stroll: A typical weekend for Aston Martin as they struggled in qualifying – 14th and 18th – before recovering in the race. Stroll was deemed the victim by the marshals in a collision with Daniel Ricciardo when he attempted to overtake the McLaren, but then passed the McLaren clear. 7.5. Pierre Gasly: ​​Starting from the pit lane after exiting Q1 for the second consecutive weekend, Gasly made decent progress to finish 12th. He was another to pass Ricciardo on the track, but overall this was not a weekend he would like to remember. 7. Zhou Guanyu: Happy after qualifying to secure a P12 start, Zhou was less than thrilled with his race strategy as the planned one-stop – medium to hard tires – didn’t work. He had to go back in for a set of softs as he was still a racer to find it difficult on the harder Pirelli rubber. 6.5. Mick Schumacher: Excellent start from the German as he gained four places from 15th to 11th in the opening laps, but eventually lost three of those places. Again, the switch to hard tires seemed to be a mistake, but at least he finished ahead of his teammate. 7. Daniel Ricciardo: A really promising first half, including a daring move across the two Alps in one go, unfortunately unraveled for Ricciardo. He received a five-second penalty for his collision with Stroll added to his race time and it can only count as another bad afternoon for the Australian. 5.5. A corner, an epic double pass by @DanielRicciardo. 👋👋#HungarianGP 🇭🇺pic.twitter.com/O8yKVEdMav — McLaren (@McLarenF1) July 31, 2022 Kevin Magnussen: It may be slightly worrying for Haas that Magnussen had the newly upgraded VF-22 and Schumacher did not, as this was not evident in their performances over the weekend. In fairness, the Dane said it might take the team some time to maximize the car’s improvements, but he was always on the back foot after being shown the black and orange flag and had to make an early pit stop after contact with Ricciardo. 6. Alex Albon: It wasn’t one of Albon’s best weekends and it was mainly debris from his car that brought an early virtual safety car period when he and Stroll met. In a race with very little friction, there was never a realistic chance of points going forward. 6. Nicholas Latifi: From the highs of P1 in FP3 and a purple front field in qualifying – he still started at the back of the grid – this has been pretty much business as usual for Latifi. The Canadian also suffered damage, a plate in the front wing, and will have to hope that Saturday’s form impressed the people who matter behind the scenes at Williams. 5. Yuki Tsunoda: After a Q1 exit, Tsunoda only went backwards in the race for no apparent reason other than a lack of grip – and a spin only compounded his misery. He really needs to regroup over the break and come back strong or his place in AlphaTauri will be seriously threatened. 4.

It’s not over

Valtteri Bottas: Only one DNF and that was Bottas, who drifted off with a fuel system failure that sparked another VSC period in the closing stages. The Finn, not for the first time this year, had a poor start, dropping five places, but recovered and was on course to grab some points by the time he retired. 6.5.