Hungary

It's lights out and away we go in Hungary...

Yet again in 2023, Saturday and qualifying produced excitement and thrill to the chequered flag, furthered by the experimentation of a new qualifying format. With Q1 and hard tyres for the entire field, Alfa Romeo powered to the top, with Zhou Guanyu topping the charts, ultimately securing a top ten starting position alongside Valterri Bottas. The Mercedes of George Russell and the Ferrari of Carlos Sainz succumbed in Q1 and Q2, respectively, exacerbating Ferrari and Mercedes' disappointment.

Meanwhile, the Maclaren's of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri contended fiercely for pole, however Max Verstappen's unsurmountable speed surpassed the Papaya challenge. Sergio Perez claimed a much-needed Q3 appearance with the return of Daniel Ricciardo fuelling a heavily anticipated return story for the Honey Badger, however remained five tenths off his teammate. The stage was set for a Max Verstappen P1, before Lewis Hamilton exhibited his mastery of the Hungaroring with a blistering flying lap to clinch an unlikely pole.

And then there were two...

In a season defined my Red Bull's dominance, Max Verstappen charging down the inside on Lewis Hamilton is simply what Formula One fans dream for. With Lando Norris prowling and Verstappen with the dry line into turn one, Hungary had the makings of an elating race, reminiscent of an intense Championship battle. Under pressure in the blazing sunshine, Verstappen remained unfazed, exhibiting a display as dominant as any this season. The victory was a record-breaking 12th successive win for Red Bull, who remain unbeaten since the checkered flag at Abu Dhabi. While qualifying remains a thrilling spectacle, Red Bull's immense race pace is overwhelming, and with Verstappen's flawless driving, the World Championship is almost a foregone conclusion. Only Sebastian Vettel has won more consecutive races.

The RB-19 is in every way an unrelenting machine, and with a champion driver at its wheel even Lewis Hamilton surrendered the lead within seconds, and the Dutch maestro cruised to a victory by 33.7 seconds. Sergio Perez clinched a podium in yet another recovery drive for the Mexican, while Lewis Hamilton finished a close fourth. Like Aston Martin earlier this season, Maclaren shone, with Lando Norris securing a back-to-back podium and Oscar Piastri narrowly missing out on a well-deserved podium. Daniel Ricciardo performed admirably with a P13 on his return to F1, beating his teammate Yuki Tsunoda, while George Russell plowed through the field to finish a promising 6th. The Top 10 was rounded out by Leclerc, Sainz, Alonso and Stroll in that order.

For all its promise, in Hungary Red Bull were a juggernaut, untouchable and overpowering, the remainder of the season seems a procession, and another Max Verstappen title looms inevitably.