After every Formula 1 race, driver Jeroen Bleekemolen shares his observations in an exclusive column for Formule1.nl. Who or what caught his attention, what went well, and what needs to change? This time after the Hungarian Grand Prix: On tyre strategy, the danger between the McLaren drivers, and Liam Lawson finishing ahead of Max Verstappen.
The tactical battle between the McLaren drivers at the Hungaroring was a sight to behold. However, upon closer inspection, I really wonder why there is still so much stress surrounding Pirelli’s tyres. I find it a bit exaggerated, as it’s clear that these tyres last much longer than people often think. Why don’t the teams collectively decide to aim for just one pit stop?
In the case of Lando Norris, it was a last resort due to his poor start. But why hadn’t McLaren already implemented this strategy for one of their drivers beforehand? You would almost certainly be leading, and if it doesn’t work out, you can hold up the pack behind you for your teammate. Especially on a track like this, where overtaking is incredibly difficult, you would expect teams to factor this in.
In my opinion, Oscar Piastri could have continued and adopted the same strategy as Norris. He could have easily won the race. And this is a common occurrence: teams opt for two stops, while a one-stop strategy proves to be perfectly feasible. It’s a shame.
Aside from that, it was of course a thrilling battle for the lead, where the drivers were really allowed to fight each other. Although Piastri was pushing the limits, or even crossing them. This could end badly in the long run. Believe me, as the tension in the title race increases, those two are bound to really hit each other at some point. And then they’ll both end up in the wall.
And then there’s Max Verstappen… a weekend to forget quickly. But it is and remains the Hungaroring, a circuit where strange things often happen. Sometimes a car just doesn’t work there, for no apparent reason, and that seems to be the case with Red Bull now. They don’t understand it themselves. They will undoubtedly come back stronger at Zandvoort, but I don’t expect them to beat McLaren on pure speed there either.
And who would have thought that Liam Lawson would finish ahead of Verstappen in Hungary? That’s just bizarre. Especially when you think back to the beginning of the season, when he was sidelined by Red Bull after just two races. If you had predicted this then, they would have called you crazy. The same goes for Gabriel Bortoleto, who was at the back of the pack in the Sauber in the first races, but is now comfortably keeping up.
The midfield is incredibly close at the moment. And unfortunately for Max, Red Bull has now become part of that as well.
