Red Bull like an F1 car in an F2 race
Red Bull won a record 12th consecutive Formula One race on Sunday, and 11th in a row, leaving the other teams feeling more than ever that they were competing against a rival of a higher level.
At the Hungarian Grand Prix, Max Verstappen claimed his seventh win in a row and his team’s 21st win in 22 races.
Verstappen has won 18 of them, and he was 33.731 seconds ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris at the chequered flag on Sunday.
On Sunday, Red Bull celebrated its 12th successive Formula One victory and 11th of the season, leaving the other teams feeling that they were racing a rival from a different league.
The Hungarian Grand Prix marked Max Verstappen’s seventh win in a row, and his team’s 21st victory in 22 races.
It was the largest winning margin since 2021 between Verstappen and McLaren’s second placed Lando Norris at the chequered flag on Sunday.
He would be well ahead of second-placed Mercedes on 223 points if he were a constructor with 281 points.
Today, you’ve seen Max’s pace and we’ve seen it already in the long runs on Friday. That’s where they are. It’s like a field of Formula Two cars against a Formula One,” said Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff.
However, Wolff felt Mercedes was making progress with seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton on pole for the first time in 33 races since Saudi Arabia in 2021.
George Russell finished sixth after starting 18th, while Hamilton finished fourth.
We just didn’t monetise it based on the lap time profile and where George came from,” Wolff said.
Verstappen and both McLarens of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri beat Hamilton into the first corner.
On the first stint, the 38-year-old Briton said he just didn’t have the speed to keep up, but the car became more manageable as the race progressed.
“We have a lot of work to do,” Hamilton said. We are a long way away from beating the Red Bulls in a race.”
After a slow start, Mercedes are perhaps equal second with McLaren, who are fifth.
Only Mercedes has beaten Red Bull in more than a year, with Russell winning in Brazil last November.
Alan Baldwin reported from London, Ken Ferris edited
As a constructor, the Dutch driver’s 281 points for this season would place him well ahead of Mercedes, which is in second place with 223.
The pace that Max had today, we saw it in the long runs already on Friday. That’s where they stand. It’s like Formula Two cars against Formula One cars,” said Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff.
Yet Wolff felt Mercedes had the second fastest car and were making progress with seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton on pole for the first time since Saudi Arabia in 2021.
On Sunday, Hamilton finished fourth and George Russell sixth after starting 18th.
We just didn’t monetise it based on the lap time profile and where George came from,” Wolff said.
Verstappen and both McLarens of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri beat Hamilton into the first corner.
On the first stint, the 38-year-old Briton said he lacked the pace to keep up, but the car became more driveable as the race progressed.
We’re a long way off beating the Red Bull in a race, and now we’re behind the McLarens,” Hamilton said.
According to Russell, Mercedes are maybe tied for second with McLaren, who are fifth after a slow start.
Russell won in Brazil last November for Mercedes, the only team to beat Red Bull in more than a year.
Alan Baldwin reported from London, Ken Ferris edited