At the halfway mark of the 2024 Formula 1 season, with six different winners emerging from the first 12 races, four teams consistently battling for dominance, and Lewis Hamilton’s much-anticipated win at Silverstone in the previous round, the thrilling 2024 Formula 1 season continued with the Hungarian Grand Prix in Budapest, a double-header before the summer break.
Race Guide
Race weekend: 19 July 2024 – 21 July 2024
Race date: Sunday, 21 July, 2024
Race start time: 15:00 local time
Circuit: Hungaroring
Laps: 70
Circuit length: 4.381km
2023 winner: Max Verstappen
| Pole position | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Driver | Lando Norris | McLaren Mercedes | |
| Time | 1:15.227 | ||
| Fastest lap | |||
| Driver | George Russell | Mercedes | |
| Time | 1:20.305 on lap 55 | ||
| Podium | |||
| First | Oscar Piastri | McLaren Mercedes | |
| Second | Lando Norris | McLaren Mercedes | |
| Third | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | |
Ahead of the 2024 race, the Hungaroring underwent phase one of its redevelopment. The paddock and the fan zone behind the main grandstand had undergone a spectacular transformation, now 8,000 square metres in size, with the circuit dominated by workers and machinery rather than F1 cars for the five months leading up to the race weekend. The upgraded areas marked the beginning of a redevelopment project set to last until 2026. Initially, phase one focused on finishing the retaining walls of the event area. However, the plan was expanded to include widening the paddock and constructing two tunnels beneath the start/finish straight. These additions would allow work to progress swiftly after the 2024 race weekend.
Weekend schedule
| Date | Session | Local Time |
|---|---|---|
| 19 July 2024 | Free Practice 1 (FP1) | 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm local time |
| 19 July 2024 | Free Practice 2 (FP2) | 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm local time |
| 20 July 2024 | Free Practice 3 (FP3) | 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm local time |
| 20 July 2024 | Qualifying | 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm local time |
| 21 July 2024 | Race | 3:00 pm local time |
In Saturday afternoon qualifying, Lando Norris clinched pole position following a thrilling qualifying session marked by fluctuating wet-dry conditions, two red flags, and a frantic final push. The McLaren driver initially set a provisional pole time of 1m 15.227s during the early runs of Q3. However, the session was interrupted when Yuki Tsunoda had a heavy crash in his RB. With just over two minutes left on the clock, the session resumed. Due to the changing weather conditions, most drivers couldn’t improve their times, allowing Norris to maintain P1, narrowly ahead of teammate Oscar Piastri by 0.022s. Max Verstappen, who chose not to attempt another lap in the final moments, secured third place for Red Bull. Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz finished fourth, with Lewis Hamilton completing the top five for Mercedes.
On Sunday, Oscar Piastri claimed his first F1 Grand Prix victory amidst intra-team drama with McLaren teammate Lando Norris. The race began with Piastri leading into Turn 1 after a three-wide battle with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. Piastri maintained his lead for much of the race until the second round of pit stops. Norris was brought in first to cover Lewis Hamilton, resulting in Norris emerging ahead of Piastri. Despite several team orders, Norris hesitated to relinquish the lead for several laps. It wasn’t until Lap 68 of 70 that Norris finally allowed Piastri to pass. Piastri secured the win, finishing two seconds ahead of Norris. Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton secured third place for Mercedes, overcoming his own challenges following a late-race collision with Verstappen.
Championship background
Lewis Hamilton became the sixth different race winner of the 2024 season at the British Grand Prix, underscoring the unexpected unpredictability that had emerged after championship leader Max Verstappen’s strong start.
Salvaging second place at Silverstone allowed Max Verstappen to extend his lead over nearest challenger Lando Norris to 84 points. Despite this, the Red Bull driver began facing fierce competition every weekend.
His next challenge was at Budapest’s Hungaroring, a renowned F1 circuit beloved by drivers and fans alike.
Hamilton, aiming to build on his victory that ended a 56-race winless streak, had the chance to match his own record by securing a ninth win at the same venue following his triumph at Silverstone.
Mercedes, fresh off back-to-back victories with George Russell winning in Austria, had taken pole at the Hungaroring for the last two years. They seemed poised to challenge both Red Bull and McLaren.
Although Hamilton’s win at Silverstone overshadowed the duel between Verstappen and Norris, the McLaren driver was frustrated as another potential victory slipped away due to poor strategic decisions.
The Hungaroring’s many low-speed corners also increased the chances of a Ferrari resurgence. The Italian team struggling since Charles Leclerc’s victory in Monaco in May.
Race entries
Ferrari and Haas reserve driver and 2025 Haas race driver Oliver Bearman participated in FP1, making further preparations ahead of his 2025 full-time debut for the team. This was his fourth of six planned sessions. He replaced Nico Hulkenberg.
Aside from FP1, which featured reserve and test drivers, all the drivers from the start of the season took to the track during FP2, FP3, Qualifying and the Grand Prix.
Tyre choices
Pirelli selected the same three softest compounds as the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix: the C3 as hard (marked white), C4 as medium (marked yellow), and C5 as soft (marked red), which is a step softer than when the 18” tyres were first introduced.
High degradation was expected, particularly in hot conditions. The weekend’s forecast during the buildup did not look favourable, reminiscent of 2023, when Hungary recorded the highest track temperature of the season at 53°C.
As a permanent race track, the Hungaroring saw limited use in 2024, so grip levels would increase significantly as more rubber was laid down. This effect was expected to be more pronounced in 2024 due to the extended period of inactivity during the facility’s modernisation, with the first phase completed only in May. Graining would, therefore, be an issue, especially in the first couple of sessions.
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Free Practice
In FP1, Carlos Sainz set the fastest time in the opening practice session, leading ahead of Max Verstappen’s Red Bull and his Ferrari teammate, Charles Leclerc. Despite a flurry of late laps, Sainz’s best time of 1m 18.713s remained unbeaten, putting him 0.276s ahead of Verstappen, with Leclerc in third and Russell fourth.
During FP2, Lando Norris topped the timesheets on the opening day after setting the fastest time in the second practice session. However, the session was interrupted after Charles Leclerc took too much curb at Turn 4, spinning off and hitting the barriers. Luckily, he was unharmed, and the marshals recovered his Ferrari. Norris topped the timesheets with a lap of 1m 17.788s in his McLaren, 0.243s ahead of Verstappen. Carlos Sainz was the leading Ferrari in third, with Perez in fourth.
On Saturday, during FP3, Lando Norris led teammate Oscar Piastri at the top of the timesheet, with McLaren setting a blistering pace and positioning themselves as favorites for pole position at the Hungarian Grand Prix later on Saturday. Norris and Piastri were separated by a mere 0.044s in an impressive session for the MCL38s around the twisty Hungaroring. Norris narrowly edged out his teammate with a best lap of 1:16.098, showcasing McLaren’s strong form ahead of qualifying.
Full Free Practice Reports
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2024 Hungarian GP FP2: Norris top and Leclerc brings out red flag
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2024 Hungarian GP FP3: Norris leads McLaren 1-2 in final practice
Free Practice 1 Classification
FP1 was held on 19 July 2024, at 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm local time.
Free Practice 2 Classification
FP2 was held on 19 July 2024, at 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm local time.
Free Practice 3 Classification
FP3 was held on 20 July 2024, at 12:30 am – 1:30 pm local time.
Qualifying
Lando Norris claimed pole position for the 2024 Hungarian Grand Prix, leading a McLaren front-row lockout in a chaotic session. Despite rain before and during qualifying, which created a dramatic spectacle at the Hungaroring, Norris maintained his focus to edge out teammate Oscar Piastri and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
Norris set the fastest time before Yuki Tsunoda’s crash brought out the second red flag with two minutes and 13 seconds remaining in Q3. After the restart, more rain ensured the leaders couldn’t improve on their used tyres.
Just before Tsunoda’s crash, drivers were on their second and final flying laps of Q3. Piastri went just 0.022s slower than Norris, with Verstappen only a few hundredths further back in third. Due to the incident, Norris couldn’t finish his second attempt, but it didn’t matter; the Brit had done enough in his first run to claim pole.
Full Qualifying Report
Qualifying Classification
Qualifying was held on 20 July 2024, at 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm local time.
What happened in the 2024 Hungarian Grand Prix?
After an eventful qualifying session on Saturday, which saw Lando Norris claim pole position in a McLaren one-two amidst mixed weather conditions and two red flags, the focus shifted to Sunday’s 70-lap Hungarian Grand Prix.
One notable change to the grid was confirmed ahead of the race: Pierre Gasly would start from the pit lane after Alpine decided to make set-up and power unit changes. This followed a tough qualifying session for the team, with Esteban Ocon and Gasly finishing in 19th and 20th, respectively.
As the grid prepared for the race, there was concern over Norris’ car when he reported a throttle issue, saying, “Something’s definitely not right with the throttle – it’s not how it should be.” Mechanics quickly worked to resolve the problem, and the issue seemed fixed in time for the race start. Most of the field opted for the medium compound tyres for the expected two-stop race, with exceptions like Perez, Russell, and Gasly on the hard tyres and Albon, Magnussen, and Aston Martins on the sofas.
At the start, Norris made a strong launch, but so did Piastri and Verstappen, leading to a three-wide battle into Turn 1. Piastri emerged as the leader, while Verstappen went wide and rejoined ahead of Norris, who then briefly lost a position to Hamilton before reclaiming it in the next corners.
Verstappen was soon flagged for leaving the track and gaining an advantage, prompting Norris to express his frustration over the radio. Verstappen was instructed by his race engineer to give the position back to Norris, which he did reluctantly, remarking, “Okay, you can just drive people off the track then.”
Determined, Verstappen pursued Norris, while the Aston Martin duo of Alonso and Stroll in seventh and eighth built a queue of cars behind them. Albon and Magnussen attempted an undercut by pitting on Lap 7, followed by other midfield drivers making their first pit stops, allowing Perez and Russell, who started 16th and 17th, to gain positions.
By Lap 11, Piastri had extended his lead to three seconds and reported feeling comfortable on his tyres. Norris had a two-second gap over Verstappen in third. On Lap 14, Norris’s engineer told him, “Lando, we believe our race is with Verstappen,” a message that may not have been well-received. Alonso also sounded frustrated when informed about Stroll’s pit stop options, responding that he “doesn’t care.”
Hamilton was the first of the front-runners to pit on Lap 17, emerging with hard tyres in P7, aiming to undercut Verstappen for third. Norris was then instructed to push at a “100% pace” before pitting, rejoining in P5 on hard tyres. Piastri followed a lap later, rejoining ahead of Norris in P4.
Verstappen, yet to pit, reported struggling with his car’s handling. The Ferrari duo of Leclerc and Sainz, also yet to pit, were running in second and third. By Lap 20, going long on their stints wasn’t benefiting Russell and Perez, who were still in eighth and ninth.
On Lap 22, a flurry of pit stops ensued. Verstappen had a smooth stop and rejoined in fifth on hard tyres, while Sainz rejoined in ninth behind Perez after his stop, having also opted for hard tyres.
This sequence of events handed the lead to Charles Leclerc, who had yet to pit. “Keep it up, this is really good driving,” his race engineer told him over the radio. Leclerc pitted on Lap 24, rejoining in P5 ahead of Yuki Tsunoda, with RB’s drivers still yet to stop.
Meanwhile, Carlos Sainz overtook Sergio Perez for P8, and Lewis Hamilton, who had taken third from Max Verstappen thanks to an undercut, was showing strong pace. Verstappen responded by setting another fastest lap on Lap 26, indicating an intense battle for the final podium spot.
Fernando Alonso was aggressively trying to overtake Nico Hulkenberg for 11th. After a lock-up by Hulkenberg, Alonso got through, bringing Lance Stroll into contention with Hulkenberg. Alonso’s next target was Pierre Gasly, with Stroll soon claiming P12.
Perez pitted on Lap 29 for medium tyres, rejoining in P15 behind Valtteri Bottas. Daniel Ricciardo, who started from P9, made a second pit stop and emerged at the back of the field due to earlier pit stop losses.
With his fresh tyres, Perez quickly gained positions, moving up to 11th by Lap 33. Up front, Piastri had a slight off-track moment but maintained his lead, while Hamilton defended against Verstappen for third place.
Hamilton locked up in Turn 1, allowing Verstappen to pass, but the Red Bull driver out-braked himself, letting Hamilton retake P3. Meanwhile, Norris closed the gap to Piastri to about 1.5 seconds, raising concerns about Piastri’s tyre condition. Gasly retired from the race due to a suspected hydraulic leak, adding to his recent misfortunes.
By Lap 38, Verstappen was relentlessly pursuing Hamilton, whose aging tires also attracted Leclerc, closing to within a second of Verstappen.
Norris was informed he could race Piastri, but only until the mid-forties. Hamilton was instructed to pit but didn’t respond immediately. He finally pitted on Lap 41, along with Leclerc, rejoining in fifth on hard tyres and sixth on mediums, respectively. Verstappen, unhappy about being undercut, complained it had ruined his race.
Norris pitted on Lap 46, rejoining in fourth on scrubbed mediums. Piastri was then brought in, but a slower stop meant he rejoined behind Norris in P3. Norris received a message: “We’d like to reestablish the order at your convenience.”
Verstappen, having temporarily led, pitted and rejoined in fifth behind Hamilton and Leclerc. Sainz followed in sixth, with Russell and Perez making gains in seventh and eighth.
With 20 laps remaining, Piastri was told to swap positions with Norris “once you get to Lando,” but the team wanted to avoid Norris losing too much race time, with a three-second gap between them.
Verstappen’s pace prompted his engineer to make a sarcastic comment about tyre management, which led to Verstappen’s colourful response. At the front, Norris was told to save his tyres while Piastri struggled to close the gap.
On Lap 57, Verstappen used DRS to overtake Leclerc into Turn 1, setting his sights on Hamilton, who was two seconds ahead. Meanwhile, the McLaren team’s strategy was still unfolding, with Norris being urged, “I know you’ll do the right thing,” but the gap to Piastri had widened to four seconds.
With less than ten laps remaining, it seemed unlikely that Norris would relinquish the lead to his teammate. Norris was reminded, “Remember, every single Sunday morning meeting we have,” to which he replied, “Tell him to catch up then please.”
Behind them, Verstappen had closed in on Hamilton, engaging in a close battle with his former title rival. Verstappen expressed frustration with Hamilton’s defensive manoeuvres but attempted another pass into Turn 1, only to lock up and collide with the Mercedes, causing his Red Bull to bounce off the track.
This incident dropped Verstappen to fifth and prompted an investigation by the stewards. However, at the front, the drama appeared to be settled when Norris slowed on Lap 68, allowing Piastri to pass.
Although Norris looked poised to challenge again, it was Piastri who ultimately crossed the finish line first, securing his debut Grand Prix victory in Formula 1 by over two seconds.
Hamilton earned a well-deserved third place, with Leclerc finishing fourth for Ferrari and Verstappen ending in fifth, pending the outcome of the stewards’ investigation.
Sainz finished sixth, followed by Perez and Russell in seventh and eighth, respectively, both recovering from low grid positions. Tsunoda claimed ninth for RB, while Stroll rounded out the top ten for Aston Martin.
Alonso finished just behind his teammate in 11th, followed by Ricciardo in 12th, Hulkenberg in 13th, Albon in 14th, and Magnussen in 15th.
Bottas and Kick Sauber missed out on points in 16th, as did Sargeant in the Williams, Ocon in the Alpine, and Zhou in the other Kick Sauber, who completed the order.
Gasly was the only retiree recording a DNF due to a suspected hydraulic leak in his Alpine.
2024 Hungarian Grand Prix race results
The 2024 Hungarian Grand Prix Race was held on 21 July 2024, at 3:00 pm local time.
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Laps | Time/Retired | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren Mercedes | 70 | 1:38:01.989 | 25 |
| 2 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren Mercedes | 70 | +2.141s | 18 |
| 3 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 70 | +14.880s | 15 |
| 4 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 70 | +19.686s | 12 |
| 5 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 70 | +21.349s | 10 |
| 6 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | 70 | +23.073s | 8 |
| 7 | 11 | Sergio Pérez | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 70 | +39.792s | 6 |
| 8 | 63 | George Russell1 | Mercedes | 70 | +42.368s | 5 |
| 9 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | RB-Honda RBPT | 70 | +77.259s | 2 |
| 10 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 70 | +77.976s | 1 |
| 11 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 70 | +82.460s | 0 |
| 12 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | RB-Honda RBPT | 69 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 13 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Haas Ferrari | 69 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 14 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams Mercedes | 69 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 15 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas Ferrari | 69 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 16 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 69 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 17 | 2 | Logan Sargeant | Williams Mercedes | 69 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 18 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine Renault | 69 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 19 | 24 | Zhou Guanyu | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 69 | +1 lap | 0 |
| NC | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine Renault | 33 | DNF | 0 |
2024 Post-Race F1 Championship Standings
Championship standings for Drivers’ and Teams after the 2024 Hungarian Grand Prix.
2024 Post-Race F1 Drivers’ Championship Standings
| Pos | Driver | Nationality | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Max Verstappen | NED | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 265 |
| 2 | Lando Norris | GBR | McLaren Mercedes | 189 |
| 3 | Charles Leclerc | MON | Ferrari | 162 |
| 4 | Carlos Sainz | ESP | Ferrari | 154 |
| 5 | Oscar Piastri | AUS | McLaren Mercedes | 149 |
| 6 | Lewis Hamilton | GBR | Mercedes | 125 |
| 7 | Sergio Pérez | MEX | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 124 |
| 8 | George Russell | GBR | Mercedes | 116 |
| 9 | Fernando Alonso | ESP | Aston Martin Mercedes | 45 |
| 10 | Lance Stroll | CAN | Aston Martin Mercedes | 24 |
| 11 | Nico Hulkenberg | GER | Haas Ferrari | 22 |
| 12 | Yuki Tsunoda | JPN | RB-Honda RBPT | 22 |
| 13 | Daniel Ricciardo | AUS | RB-Honda RBPT | 11 |
| 14 | Oliver Bearman | GBR | Ferrari | 6 |
| 15 | Pierre Gasly | FRA | Alpine Renault | 6 |
| 16 | Kevin Magnussen | DEN | Haas Ferrari | 5 |
| 17 | Alexander Albon | THA | Williams Mercedes | 4 |
| 18 | Esteban Ocon | FRA | Alpine Renault | 3 |
| 19 | Zhou Guanyu | CHN | Stake F1 Team | 0 |
| 20 | Logan Sargeant | USA | Williams Mercedes | 0 |
| 21 | Valtteri Bottas | FIN | Stake F1 Team | 0 |
2024 Post-Race F1 Constructors’ Championship Standings
| Pos | Team | PTS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 389 |
| 2 | McLaren Mercedes | 338 |
| 3 | Ferrari | 322 |
| 4 | Mercedes | 241 |
| 5 | Aston Martin Mercedes | 69 |
| 6 | RB-Honda RBPT | 33 |
| 7 | Haas Ferrari | 27 |
| 8 | Alpine Renault | 9 |
| 9 | Williams Mercedes | 4 |
| 10 | Stake F1 Team | 0 |
Sources:
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