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Alexander Albon put in another strong performance at the Hungaroring on Sunday, with the Thai driver admitting eleventh place at the chequered flag was a surprising result.

The Williams Racing team were expecting to struggle for performance during the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend around a track that usually would not favour their FW45 car, but Albon was still able to fight close to the points.

Albon used the undercut to good use to get ahead of cars that would have driven off into the distance if they were ahead of him, but the fact he was able to finish eleventh bodes well for a car that is likely to be much more competitive on other tracks later this year.

And the fact they were able to highlight just where the car was lacking in performance in Hungary should do them well in similar conditions later in the season.

“P11 is quite a surprising result, it was quite a defensive race which we like to do,” said Albon. “We got track position and we were okay; we came into this circuit knowing it wouldn’t suit us and we qualified where the pace of the car was.

Mike Krack says it is important that the Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula One Team can push through their developments as they were only the fifth fastest team during the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend.

Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll could only finish ninth and tenth at the Hungaroring, with Aston Martin finishing behind both drivers of Oracle Red Bull Racing, the McLaren F1 Team, Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team and Scuderia Ferrari. 

Stroll even found himself a lap down on race winner Max Verstappen, while Alonso was more than a minute and fifteen seconds behind the Dutchman at the chequered flag.

Aston Martin still sit third in the Constructors’ Championship after the eleventh round of the season, but the gap to Mercedes in second now sits at thirty-seven points, while fourth placed Ferrari have closed their gap to the Silverstone-based team to just seventeen points.

Krack, the Team Principal at Aston Martin, says both Alonso and Stroll performed well during the Hungarian Grand Prix but did not have the pace nor performance needed to challenge higher up the order, something they need to address if they are to return to their early podium-challenging form.

Fernando Alonso believes ninth and tenth in Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix was the best result possible for the Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula One Team.

Hopes heading into the weekend at the Hungaroring where that Aston Martin could recapture the form that had seen Alonso take six podium finishes in the opening eight races of the 2023 FIA Formula 1 World Championship season. 

However, the pace was not as strong as hoped, and the veteran Spaniard had a largely lonely race to finish ninth, well behind Scuderia Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Jr.

Alonso says the team will need to find a way to get back to fighting at the front of the pack after seeing them fall further behind the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team as the teams battle over second place in the Constructors’ Championship, while Ferrari and the resurgence McLaren F1 Team are also involved in the battle.

“I think three points for us was the maximum we could achieve [as a team] today,” said Alonso.  “We had a bit of a lonely race with no threats behind, but we were unable to make significant ground up on our competitors ahead of us.

Frédéric Vasseur admitted the result of the Hungarian Grand Prix was a poor one for Scuderia Ferrari, with Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Jr. ending only seventh and eighth at the Hungaroring.

Leclerc was running inside the top five in the first stages of the race but was compromised by a slow pit stop early on, his mechanics struggling with a wheel gun at the back of his car.

However, he was later hit by a five-second time penalty for speeding in the pit lane during his second stop, a penalty that meant George Russell was able to jump ahead of him in the final result.

“Our result is rather poor today,” said Vasseur, the Team Principal at Ferrari.  “It was a complicated race with Charles, chiefly because he lost around seven seconds at the pit stop, which was a massive delay, because of an issue with a wheel-gun.

“This also put him in traffic and then there was also the 5-second pit lane speeding penalty.”

Charles Leclerc saw his Hungarian Grand Prix heavily compromised by his two visits to the pit lane on Sunday, with a slow first stop costing him valuable time before he was handed a time penalty for speeding in the pit lane on his second visit.

The Scuderia Ferrari driver felt his pace was good on the first stint and he was managing his race well, but he was unable to better sixth at the chequered flag, which became seventh once his time penalty was applied.

Leclerc’s first visit to the pit lane saw a slow stop of almost ten seconds thanks to a problem fitting his right rear tyre, while he was deemed to have exceeded the pit lane speed limit on his second trip to the pits.

The Monegasque racer hopes for a better weekend in Spa-Francorchamps next weekend to go into the summer break, but overall, he admitted it was a difficult Sunday in Hungary.

“I was quite happy with my pace in the first stint, as we were managing things really well and keeping up with the cars ahead,” said Leclerc.  “Then we lost time on our first pit stop, which put us on the back foot and I had to push to recover some positions.

Toto Wolff felt the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team were the second fastest team during the Hungarian Grand Prix, but the result at the end of the day did not show this.

Lewis Hamilton finished the race at the Hungaroring in fourth place having started from pole position, with a slow-looking getaway seeing him fall away from the podium places by the time they had got to turn three on lap one. 

George Russell, on the other hand, made up twelve places from his grid slot to take sixth place at the chequered flag.  Having started eighteenth on the grid after being compromised by traffic in Qualifying, the Briton drove superbly to finish on the track in seventh, before gaining a place thanks to Charles Leclerc’s five-second time penalty for speeding in the pit lane.

Wolff, the Team Principal at Mercedes, feels the final stint at the Hungaroring, when Hamilton was able to make considerable gains on the cars in front, showed there was a lot of pace within the W14, but the way they had executed the race meant that the podium finish was just out of reach.

“I think we had the second quickest car today, but the result doesn’t show it,” said Wolff.  “If you look at the lap time profile and George’s progress, there was opportunity for more, but we didn’t monetise it.

Lewis Hamilton started the Hungarian Grand Prix from pole position on Sunday, but a sluggish looking start meant this advantage was lost as he slipped to fourth place.

The Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team driver lost first place to Oracle Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen into turn one and running wide as a result meant he also slipped behind both Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris by the time he had got to turn three.

The longer the race went on the stronger his W14 felt, but Hamilton was unable to find a way to get back into the podium places, with Sergio Pérez using the superior pace of his Red Bull to deny the seven-time World Champion third place.

“My initial getaway wasn’t the worst I’ve ever had but it wasn’t as good as the others,” said Hamilton.  “I ran wide and also got done by the McLarens. After that, I didn’t have the pace to keep up with those ahead.

“The balance of the car didn’t feel great in the first stint, and I had a lot of understeer, to snap oversteer, and problems with through-corner balance. As the stints progressed, the car started to become more driveable, and the final stint was much better.

Andrea Stella says the result of the Hungarian Grand Prix was a pleasing one for the McLaren F1 Team, with Lando Norris securing a second consecutive second place finish last Sunday.

Norris’ result was backed up by the performance of Oscar Piastri, who raced for two-thirds of the race at the Hungaroring with damage to his floor but was still able to finish fifth.

The result sees McLaren move further clear of the BWT Alpine F1 Team for fifth place in the Constructors’ Championship, with Stella, the Team Principal of the Woking based team, delighted that the form they showed two weeks ago at Silverstone continued in Hungary.

“Following on from Silverstone, another strong result for our team with Lando on the podium again and Oscar finishing P5,” said Stella.

“On Oscar’s side, the first stint was very strong. In the second stint, we need to look at the impact that some car damage had, in terms of performance and interaction with the tyres, because we seem to have lost the ability to sustain tyre life over the stint.

For the first time in his FIA Formula 1 World Championship career, Lando Norris secured back-to-back podium finishes, with the British racer claiming second place in the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Having started third on the grid at the Hungaroring, the McLaren F1 Team driver was able to pass team-mate Oscar Piastri after the first round of pit stops, and despite late pressure from Sergio Pérez, he was able to hang on to second place.

“Tough race. Not an easy one, especially with Pérez catching, but he didn’t have the pace to catch up in the end so I’m happy,” said Norris.  

“I had to fight for a little bit in the beginning after Turn One but another podium for us, for McLaren, it’s an amazing result.”

Norris says the progress McLaren have made with the development of their MCL60 is ‘amazing’, with their form completely different to where they had been just four or five races ago.

Christian Horner says victory in Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix marked a ‘historic moment’ in the history of Oracle Red Bull Racing, as it brought a twelfth consecutive victory in the FIA Formula 1 World Championship, breaking the record set by the McLaren F1 Team in 1988.

Horner, the Team Principal of the Milton Keynes-based team, admitted watching Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost claim the opening eleven victories in the 1988 season in the all-dominant MP4/4, and to better than record this year with Max Verstappen and Sergio Pérez and the RB19 showcases the ‘exceptional talent and dedication’ of everyone at Red Bull.

“I remember as a boy, watching Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost race with McLaren-Honda and they achieved eleven consecutive victories,” said Horner.  “I knew then what an incredible achievement that was.

“To think that we have bettered that is testament to the exceptional talent and dedication of the team, from the race track here in Budapest and back at the factory in Milton Keynes. It’s an historic moment and one that means so much, we certainly don’t take this for granted.”

Horner was full of praise for both of his drivers at the Hungaroring, with Pérez climbing from ninth on the grid to finish third with some decisive overtakes, while Verstappen was able to claim a seventh consecutive victory having jumped polesitter Lewis Hamilton at turn one on lap one.

Max Verstappen stormed to a seventh consecutive victory of the 2023 FIA Formula 1 World Championship season on Sunday, the Dutchman taking the win at the Hungaroring by more than half a minute.

The Oracle Red Bull Racing driver had started second on the grid but was able to jump into the lead at the start.  He pulled alongside polesitter Lewis Hamilton heading into turn one and was untroubled thereafter until the chequered flag.

Verstappen admitted his car was a joy to drive in Hungary, and he says the decision to focus on race performance over Qualifying performance paid off when it mattered and enabled him to claim a remarkable ninth victory in eleven races.

“The start was very important to me,” said Verstappen.  “I wanted to get a good first stint and it meant I was able to look after my tyres well and extend it compared to the others.

“The car felt really good today and the balance was right with the increase in temperature. We had the struggle over one lap all weekend in qualifying, but I think that means it was the right call for the race.

“Dakar has once again generated strong enthusiasm during the registrations in the Motorbike and Quad categories, and we thank you for your interest. Many of you have expressed your attachment and willingness to participate in the Dakar by submitting your application for the 2024 edition.

“After careful consideration of your application, we are pleased to announce that you have been selected for the 46th edition of the Dakar rally, which will take place from 5 to 19 January 2024, from Al’Ula to Yanbu, in Saudi Arabia. […]

“By taking part in the biggest rally in the world, not only are you writing your own story, but also that of the Dakar’s legend. We are very happy to welcome you as a competitor in this next edition and will be by your side throughout this incredible adventure.”

This letter from race director David Castera and competition director Charles Cuypers is what applicants hoped to see when they checked their inboxes, but only 120 will actually get it. The Amaury Sport Organisation and FIM began selecting bike and quad riders for the 2024 Dakar Rally last Friday, completing a month-long application and evaluation process in which registrants supplied a dossier of their qualifications and races they ran. Those accepted include returning faces from 2023, newcomers to Dakar, and those who return after not taking part in January.

One of the easiest ways to qualify is to race in an FIM-sanctioned event such as any of the World Rally-Raid Championship rounds and standing out. Tobias Ebster and Francisco Alvarez earned their spots by winning the Road to Dakar at the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge and Sonora Rally, a programme that ensures free admission for those with no prior Dakar experience; Ebster went a step beyond by winning the Rally2 overall at the ADDC.

Nasser Al-Attiyah‘s plans for the 2024 Dakar Rally are uncertain, but his current goal is to close out his decorated stint at Toyota with a successful Desafío Ruta 40. Well, assuming he leaves.

While reports have stated Al-Attiyah is expected to race for Prodrive starting with the 2023 Rallye du Maroc, where he will likely clinch his second straight World Rally-Raid Championship, he has yet to officially sign a deal with the outfit as he remains under contract with Toyota until September.

Toyota is keen on retaining the five-time Dakar champion, and Al-Attiyah has noted that he is in negotiations with both his current Toyota Gazoo Racing team as well as their subsidiary Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa. TGR is mainly operated by the parent Toyota Motor Corporation, while TGRSA is among a handful of regional programmes with their own degree of autonomy as they are run by SVR Hallspeed.

Prodrive remains one of his main suitors, with whom he would partner up with W2RC rival Sébastien Loeb at Bahrain Raid Xtreme, as well as M-Sport. BRX fields the Prodrive Hunter for Loeb, but is skipping the DR 40 to prepare for Morocco and Dakar. M-Sport, a newcomer to rally raid with their Ford Ranger T1+ developed in conjunction with Ford Performance and Neil Woolridge Motorsport, made their début at last weekend’s Baja Aragón with Nani Roma and Gareth Woolridge; the duo respectively finished sixth and eleventh overall while Al-Attiyah won for the sixth time.

After his Aragón victory, Al-Attiyah revealed it would be “the last race for me with Toyota in Baja,” though the door remains open for the Japanese manufacturer to keep him around if they agree to an extension.

The Hungarian Grand Prix saw Max Verstappen take his seventh consecutive victory, besting pole-sitter Lewis Hamilton with another dominant performance. Lando Norris and Sergio Pérez finished in second and third respectively, each running impressive races at the winding Hungaroring.

All eyes were on Hamilton and Verstappen on the front row, followed by McLaren F1 Team’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, who have proven to be consistently quick since installing their recent upgrade to MCL60. Off the race start, Hamilton was overtaken by Verstappen and both McLarens, slipping back in the field. 

Meanwhile, an incident sparked by fifth-place starter Zhou Guanyu— who suffered a slow start off the line– saw several drivers disadvantaged and both BWT Alpine F1 Team drivers Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon crashing out of the race. Daniel Ricciardo, also involved in the tangle, lost five positions as a result. 

Once the order was settled after an eventful first lap, it was Verstappen at the head of the pack followed by Piastri, who made a tactful move on the start to pass both his team-mate and Hamilton, and Norris. Hamilton, now in fourth, led both Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz.

With drivers starting on all three compounds, tyre strategy was a subject of interest in Hungary. The likes of Lance Stroll and Valtteri Bottas traded their soft tyres in on lap ten for hard tyres, which ended up being the favored compound. Sainz made the same move on lap sixteen, and the medium tyre runners came in soon after.

The Nürburgring is one of the most iconic and challenging racetracks in the world. Located in Nürburg, Germany, it is a motorsport complex that consists of two main tracks: the Nürburgring Nordschleife and the Nürburgring Grand Prix Circuit (also known as the Nürburgring GP-Strecke).

1. Nürburgring Nordschleife: The Nordschleife is a legendary 20.8-kilometer (12.9 miles) long track that is often referred to as "The Green Hell." It is known for its demanding and technical layout, featuring 154 corners and significant elevation changes. Originally built in the 1920s, it was designed as a test track for automotive manufacturers. Today, it hosts various racing events, including the famous 24 Hours of Nürburgring endurance race, as well as public driving sessions ("Touristenfahrten") that allow enthusiasts to experience the track in their own vehicles.

2. Nürburgring Grand Prix Circuit: The Grand Prix Circuit is a modern track built in 1984 and measures 5.148 kilometers (3.199 miles) in length. It features a mix of high-speed straights and challenging corners, making it suitable for hosting Formula 1 races and other high-profile motorsport events.

The Nürburgring has a rich racing history and has been the venue for numerous motorsport events, including Formula 1 races, endurance races, touring car championships, and motorcycle races. It is famous for its unpredictable weather, which adds an extra layer of challenge for drivers. Many automakers use the Nürburgring Nordschleife as a testing ground for performance cars due to its demanding nature.

For both professional and amateur drivers, the Nürburgring remains a bucket-list destination, attracting motorsport enthusiasts from around the globe who seek the ultimate driving experience on this legendary track.