2025 F1 Hungarian GP: Driver Ratings

The 2025 F1 Hungarian GP ended with Lando Norris on top of the podium with his teammate, Oscar Piastri, right alongside him in P2. This race was a slow burner where different drivers tried different approaches and strategies, and in the end, it was the Brit who came out on top.

The F1 Hungarian GP, however, was not without its twists and turns and areas that made a few drivers stand out compared to others. Some drivers portrayed true excellence this weekend, while others struggled.

With that being said, how did each driver fare during the F1 Hungarian GP? Let's take a look.

Criteria

• Performance in both qualifying and races is judged.
• Results achieved compared to the potential of the car.
• Mistakes made over the weekend.
• Relative performance against teammate.

2025 F1 Hungarian GP: Rating the drivers

McLaren

Lando Norris

Rating: 9

You cannot fault Lando Norris for making the one-stopper work in the manner he did. Also, you cannot assume that his teammate would have nailed it in the same manner.

The beauty of F1 is that there's more than one way to skin a cat, and the one that Lando chose worked to perfection. He was a smidge slower than Oscar Piastri in qualifying and lost out at the start, but in the end of the day, when it was time to make sure he didn't make mistakes, he didn't and emerged victorious.

Oscar Piastri

Rating: 8.5

Oscar Piastri has every right to be gutted that he lost out to Lando Norris. There's also the other side of things here as well, where if he hadn't lost pole to Charles Leclerc or undercut him, he would have never been in this position.

It's bittersweet for him because the Australian was quite brilliant throughout the weekend, and hence his comment about the race result being a bit painful holds a lot of weight.

Ferrari

Charles Leclerc

Rating: 10

Arguably, the driver of the F1 Hungarian GP and also a reminder that an excellent driver needs a team behind him to put together excellent results. Charles Leclerc has been in imperious form this season, and this was unfortunately a win that went begging, not through his fault.

Lewis Hamilton

Rating: 4

Lewis Hamilton's downbeat demeanor and comments made headlines because he knew what had happened in the F1 Hungarian GP. The Hungaroring is his track and is arguably his teammate's worst track.

If there is a track where he should have had the edge, it was here. The fact that he didn't and put together a below-par weekend came as a reality check to the 7x F1 champion.

Red Bull

Max Verstappen

Rating: 7.5

With Max Verstappen often being the benchmark at Red Bull, you expect him to be the barometer to judge where the car is. The F1 Hungarian GP did, however, show that there was more available on the table than what Verstappen could achieve.

The fact that he was running in P7 at the start of the race and then dropped back after pit stops was strange, and so was the inability to overtake Liam Lawson in a Racing Bull. Not the best one for the car and, to a certain extent, for the driver as well.

Yuki Tsunoda

Rating: 6

Once the qualifying saw him drop out in Q1, Yuki Tsunoda's weekend was done. There was nothing that he could do in the pack, and he also picked up damage midway through the race. The F1 Hungarian GP was a forgettable experience for the Japanese driver, as have been most of the races with Red Bull this season.

Mercedes

George Russell

Rating: 9.5

You can always expect George Russell to pick up the pieces wherever possible, and he's doing just that with Mercedes this season. The F1 Hungarian GP was no different, where Russell just kept himself in contention for the most part and would eventually pick up a podium.

That contract delay is not on Mercedes anymore, as it appears that the British driver is looking for more commitment from the team, and rightly so.

Kimi Antonelli

Rating: 6

Kimi Antonelli's race was fine, where he made his way through the field to at least score a point. His qualifying was underwhelming, and the teenager might have to work hard to start showing improvements on that front as well.

Aston Martin

Fernando Alonso

Rating: 9.5

The way Alonso slowed everyone down early in the race so that he didn't ruin his tires was a masterful display and a veteran move by a driver who knew his and his car's strengths from top to bottom.

That P5 was arguably achieved in an Aston Martin that was slower than both the Sauber and the Red Bull behind him, and was done so by managing every aspect of that race brilliantly.

Lance Stroll

Rating: 8

Less than a tenth away from Alonso was the bright spot, but maybe Lance Stroll could have done a better job in the F1 Hungarian GP, where he was first jumped by Gabriel Bortoleto and then by Max Verstappen. But, still a far better overall weekend for the Canadian.

Alpine

Pierre Gasly

Rating: 6

A rare weekend in 2025 where Pierre Gasly was bested by his teammate, but that's exactly what happened at the F1 Hungarian GP. With an uncompetitive car, the driver couldn't do much in the race either.

Franco Colapinto

Rating: 7.5

A nice positive way to go into the summer break for Franco Colapinto, who is starting to find his bearings at Alpine. The Argentinian had the edge over his teammate, but there's only so much one could do with that car.

Haas

Esteban Ocon

Rating: 6.5

Esteban Ocon remains mystified by the lack of performance in qualifying, as, just like another veteran midfielder, he's found it hard to extract pace over a lap. The F1 Hungarian GP was no different, as poor qualifying meant he was not a factor anymore.

Ollie Bearman

Rating: 7

A strong qualifying followed by a race stuck in traffic, followed by a reliability issue, is how one would sum up the F1 Hungarian GP for the rookie. He's still got some polishing left to do, but Bearman is quite clearly a talent for the future.

Racing Bulls

Liam Lawson

Rating: 8

Slowly but steadily, Liam Lawson is starting to find his feet and get the results. This was another race where he got the better of his rookie teammate and scored points. The duo is fighting for their future as Arvid Lindblad is knocking on the door, and the F1 Hungarian GP would serve as a timely reminder for the Red Bull family of Lawson's capabilities.

Isack Hadjar

Rating: 6.5

The last few races have not gone Hadjar's way, and these marginal losses were not something that the rookie faced early in the partnership. The F1 Hungarian GP was a weekend where Hadjar left points on the table, and he'd know that as well.

Williams

Alex Albon

Rating: 6.5

Albon felt he left something on the table in qualifying, but the car was certainly not as competitive as he would have hoped. The driver would be looking forward to the break before getting back on the horse.

Carlos Sainz

Rating: 7

Carlos Sainz had a marginally better race than what his teammate could muster, but that was the limit of the Williams at Hungaroring. The driver would hope to bounce back with a bang post the summer break.

Sauber

Nico Hulkenberg

Rating: 4.5

This was a poor one from Nico Hulkenberg, and there seems to be an issue with him this season where he's found it hard to extract his 100% in qualifying. Whether that's on him or the car, he'll need to find a solution for sure because the F1 Hungarian GP was below par from the driver.

Gabriel Bortoleto

Rating: 9.5

The F1 Hungarian GP was the weekend when Gabriel Bortoleto arrived. A P6 finish is a brilliant result, and now everyone knows what the Brazilian is capable of. One slight on him? That Sauber was probably faster than the Aston Martin as well.