Formula 1 goes on vacation like millions of Italians (and not only) and we can enjoy the pleasure of having a driver leading the world championship more or less halfway through, given that it’s still not clear how many races will be recovered.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli is a subtle, unexpected joy that will keep us on the edge of our seats until the end, considering that in Hungary he raced with the wise maturity of someone who thinks unequivocally about the championship. He didn’t win in Budapest, because for the first time this year Mercedes didn’t have the best car. But he was able to bring it to the third step of the podium, smiling happily as if he had crossed the finish line first. Because precisely on the day of defeat, Antonelli gained points on the first of his pursuers, Lewis Hamilton, who is 50 points behind.
Antonelli is the image of happiness, Ferrari that of bitterness for having thrown away a race that in theory they should have dominated. Leclerc fourth and Hamilton fifth are the photograph of a totally wrong day to the point that the most ruthless analysis of what happened in Hungary was made by none other than Fred Vasseur, emphasizing that it was the errors of the team and the drivers that ruined a possible celebration.
But would it have been like that? I have doubts, in light of how strong McLaren was, fresh from updates, and Lando Norris, the world champion finally back to excelling, delivering – and it was about time – one of his best races from a strategic point of view, a weak point for the Englishman on too many occasions.
Pole position had shown how McLaren had regained the sprint of its best moments, then the perfect start by Norris and Piastri, who acted as a wall to the others, was a feat no one expected. And from there began Lando’s charge, absolutely faster than his teammate, with a McLaren one-two very possible, without the failure that knocked Piastri out at the end.
Read more Antonelli and the missed madness of the single stop: “I felt good, but I saw the tire cords”
Antonelli, starting seventh, attempted the madness of making one less stop than his rivals, then had to change his mind and still raced in his own way, in the name of perfection, except for the dangerous habit of track limits. In this case too, there was only one Mercedes protagonist, with Russell – who should during these holidays look for an Indian guru or get blessed – blocked at the start by a stalled engine (not his fault) and then forced to recover to a meager seventh place.
Excellent Norris, then, in a race that had another hero in Verstappen, second, constantly attacking with a Red Bull that is far from the semi-perfection of McLaren, Mercedes, and Ferrari. Max is on the market, his manager is talking left and right, even if it is Red Bull itself that will perform miracles to keep him until 2027.
The one who never made a mark, however, was the heavily favored Ferrari. Not very incisive in qualifying, non-existent for the top positions in the race. Vasseur blames many things, but particularly the tire sequence, because in the central phase they should have risked with the Pirelli Softs and not the Hards. Then Leclerc messed up the start, immediately finding himself from second to fifth, while Hamilton, constantly ahead of Charles, took another 5-second penalty for excessive speed in the pits, but still didn’t have the pace of the leaders.
Budapest showed a reasonably fast but too messy Ferrari, which after the August break will have to start winning consistently if it doesn’t want to throw away another season. The feeling is of a more compact and proactive team than in the past, but with two drivers who can no longer wait and are therefore sometimes subject to emotional swings that ultimately cost them. On the other hand, there is a very calm Antonelli who amazes the world. But he doesn’t drive a Ferrari and therefore divides the Maranello fanbase. It had never happened that an Italian was leading the world championship with a rival car to the Prancing Horse. And it’s wonderful that it’s happening, putting aside the distinctions and pettiness of fandom.
Read more Hamilton wraps up a disappointing weekend: “We should have won, not finished P4 and P5”
