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The 2025 F1 Hungarian GP is the last race before the summer break kicks off. After this one, there would be a few weeks off where we wouldn't have any racing as the drivers and teams, and the rest of the staff, unwind.
While everyone welcomes the break for obvious reasons, there's also a part of it where there are drivers heading into the F1 Hungarian GP with the sole motive of having a strong one before they take the break. Either it could be because they want to take the momentum into the break, or their career is at stake, or it is just to end the first half on a positive note.
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As we head to the F1 Hungarian GP, there are a few drivers who are desperate for a strong run this weekend. Who are they? Well, let's take a look.
2025 F1 Hungarian GP: Drivers that need a good weekend
#1 Lando Norris
Lando Norris is in a position where a win is going to be crucial now. The driver is looking at Oscar Piastri stretching the lead to 16 points once again, and if he does end up winning the F1 Hungarian GP, then that would take the lead to a point where the gap is close to a race win.
Norris was not necessarily comfortable with the car at the start of the season. As the year has progressed, he has gotten more adept at the style needed to get the result.
Having said that, his biggest weakness is the inability to win the mini-battles. Whether it is with the safety car restarts or with the final qualifying push laps, he has to start nailing those if he has to start picking up wins and eating into the lead.
#2 Lewis Hamilton
We're in the 14th race of the season, and if we remove the race weekend in Silverstone, we're looking at the first half of the year where Lewis Hamilton has not had a single race weekend where he has been the faster driver at Ferrari. There have been reasons, and there have been claims made. Nico Rosberg even joked that there have been excuses given by the 7x F1 champion when things have not gone his way.
There is, however, a realization that is setting in at Ferrari, which is the fact that we're halfway through the season. Even at this stage, if Hamilton has not gotten up to speed with Charles Leclerc, then at what point would we see him being competitive?
The F1 Hungarian GP is one race where Lewis Hamilton has often excelled, irrespective of the regulations in place. The driver has often found a way to make it to the podium even in the ground effect era at this track.
His only pole position in this era also comes at this track, even though qualifying has been a major struggle. The driver himself would be looking at this weekend as a bit of a litmus test to get things back in order and start making progress.
#3 Kimi Antonelli
The sight of Kimi Antonelli seemingly in tears after qualifying in Belgium was not a good sign. It also raised questions from many on whether he should have been forced to jump to F1 this early. It does appear that a lot of the pressure on the kid has been external. The news of contracts coupled with far too many zeroes next to his name, with plenty of them not his fault, has led to an increased level of scrutiny.
The F1 Hungarian GP is the last opportunity for Antonelli to regain some of the momentum and get back to chipping away at things as he learns the ropes in F1.
