Lando Norris claimed victory at the Hungarian Grand Prix. However, the British driver had to fight hard for his win, especially when his teammate Oscar Piastri started closing in during the final stages. International media observed how McLaren ‘narrowly’ avoided disaster when the Australian almost collided with his teammate. In addition to the McLaren duel, Ferrari also played a minor role at the Hungaroring. Foreign sports papers are focusing on the ‘ordeal’ of both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton.
“The Formula 1 could not have asked for a better finale before the summer break,” begins the British The Guardian. In the home country of the Hungarian GP winner Lando Norris, they can hardly wait for the end of August when the season resumes. “The two main characters and McLaren teammates raced wheel-to-wheel to the flag. Norris came out on top, but only after a nerve-wracking climax that suggests the championship will also be decided at the very last moment.”
The Austrian Kleine Zeitung also highlights the battle between Norris and Piastri. The outlet saw how McLaren’s 200th Grand Prix victory ‘almost literally went up in smoke’ when Oscar Piastri braked too late in an attack on leader Norris during the final stages. “One of his tires locked up and smoke was released. McLaren narrowly escaped a disaster.” But while McLaren still had reason to celebrate, that was certainly not the case for Ferrari. After Charles Leclerc’s pole position on Saturday, “Ferrari’s mood swung from joy to a severe hangover within just 24 hours, especially with Lewis Hamilton’s disappointing twelfth place.” The Monegasque finished fourth, after he also saw George Russell pass him.
The Ordeal of Leclerc
The French publication L’Équipe also observed the ‘ordeal’ that the Monegasque driver underwent. “On Saturday, Charles Leclerc was overjoyed with his pole position. So pleased that he outsmarted those lightning-fast McLarens, you’d almost forget they are essentially unbeatable,” writes the reporter on duty. “Although he led the race for a long time, the Monegasque ended up far behind the Formula 1 cars that will inevitably become world champions at this pace. After all, it’s already their seventh double victory in fourteen Grands Prix.” For Lando Norris, it was the fifth win of the season, bringing his total to nine, one more than title rival Piastri.
The Caution of Hamilton
The media in the southern countries mainly focused on Leclerc’s teammate Lewis Hamilton. The British driver’s Hungarian race weekend was also difficult, and Hamilton declared himself ‘useless’ for Ferrari on Saturday. “A week ago, after the Belgian Grand Prix, I wrote here that Lewis Hamilton was at a loss,” writes the reporter from HLN. “Nothing has changed. Or perhaps it has: in Budapest, the seven-time world champion sank even lower.”
During the main event at the Hungaroring, Hamilton also had a brief skirmish with Max Verstappen, avoiding contact with the Dutchman by veering off to the runoff area. “Had he stayed on the track, a collision would have been almost inevitable. But the Hamilton of two or three years ago would never have rolled out the red carpet for Verstappen like this.”
