Lewis Hamilton believes Ferrari can help him secure a record-breaking eighth Formula 1 world championship as he chases championship leader Kimi Antonelli ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix.
The 41-year-old sits second in the 2026 driver standings, 45 points adrift of Mercedes’ teenage sensation.
This season marks the first time the British driver has been in genuine title contention since his controversial final-race defeat to Max Verstappen in 2021.
Embracing the championship fight
The seven-time world champion admitted he is relishing being back in the mix following a challenging debut campaign with the Scuderia last year.
“It’s a great feeling, especially when you look at the contrast of where we were last year here,” Hamilton said.
He praised the Italian outfit for their collective progress while acknowledging the personal adjustments he has made to return to the front of the grid.
“There’s still a lot of work to do and still a mountain to climb ahead of us on the second half of the season but I’m more focused than ever and I really believe we can fight.”
Hunting down Antonelli
The Hungarian Grand Prix represents the halfway stage of the 22-race calendar, serving as the final fixture before the sport’s traditional summer break.
Despite the current points deficit, the former Mercedes driver insists this weekend is not a make-or-break moment for his title aspirations against the 19-year-old Italian.
“This is just the time for us to continue to hammer down and continue to double down on our development and continue to push,” he explained.
The Maranello-based squad has already secured two victories this term, regularly pressuring their rivals for podium finishes.
Mercedes remain the benchmark
Pundits have tipped the Italian constructor to perform strongly at the Hungaroring this weekend.
The circuit’s tight, twisting layout and abundance of slow-speed corners are expected to mask Ferrari’s slight power unit deficit compared to the class-leading Mercedes engine.
However, the veteran racer is taking nothing for granted as the intense 2026 development war continues.
He remains adamant that the Silver Arrows, spearheaded by his young successor Antonelli, are still the ultimate benchmark in Budapest.
Fernando Alonso remains cautiously optimistic as Aston Martin introduce a heavily revised car at the Hungarian Grand Prix to rescue their struggling Formula 1 campaign.
The comprehensive package features a new chassis, reduced overall weight, and significant aerodynamic modifications.
It marks the team’s first major developmental step of the year after commencing the season with an uncompetitive package.
All-in-one upgrade strategy
Aston Martin have opted to introduce their new components simultaneously rather than drip-feeding smaller updates across multiple race weekends.
This aggressive approach was deemed the most efficient use of resources under the sport’s strict budget cap constraints.
However, the strategy has resulted in the Silverstone-based outfit progressively falling further behind their midfield rivals.
I am more into the weekend, understanding the direction of the car, if we are in a good path and we can unlock finally the performance.
The Spanish veteran acknowledges that engine power is less critical at the tight Hungaroring circuit.
This allows the 42-year-old to shift his focus entirely towards evaluating the effectiveness of the aerodynamic enhancements.
Engine struggles compound difficulties
Recent high-speed circuits like Silverstone and Spa-Francorchamps exposed glaring pace deficits linked to the current Honda power unit.
Even at corner-dependent tracks, the two-time world champion has found himself trailing significantly behind leading midfield competitors.
The Japanese manufacturer will not provide an updated development engine until the Dutch Grand Prix arrives after the summer break.
The other teams opted for a more conventional upgrade path, bringing 0.1-0.2secs every few races and then you end up with a second in race 12.
The former Ferrari driver insists he is not focusing on specific finishing positions this weekend.
Instead, the ultimate goal is simply bridging the performance gap in one massive developmental leap.
Long-term vision for 2026
Aston Martin chief technical officer Adrian Newey admitted it became rapidly apparent that their early-season package lacked competitiveness.
The team subsequently took the difficult decision to temporarily halt development during the first half of the year.
It’s enabled us to step back a bit, take a bit of pressure off with a view to then really getting ourselves better organised.
This calculated sacrifice aims to ensure the technical department is perfectly aligned for the sweeping regulation changes arriving in 2026.
Lewis Hamilton has admitted he must raise his focus levels at this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix after a costly practice crash compromised his race in Belgium.
The Ferrari driver finished fourth at Spa-Francorchamps on Sunday but believes he could have challenged for victory without a major Saturday setback.
An accident at the end of final practice forced mechanics to replace a host of parts on his car immediately prior to qualifying.
Team-mate Charles Leclerc ultimately qualified and finished ahead of the British driver for the second consecutive race.
Encouraging pace for Scuderia
Despite his personal frustration in Belgium, the seven-time world champion remains buoyed by the underlying speed of his machinery.
The Italian outfit performed better than expected against Mercedes on the high-speed layouts of Silverstone and Spa.
This suggests they will be formidable at the tighter Hungaroring, a circuit which plays heavily to their cornering strengths.
It’s really great to see the performance that we are bringing and we are improving the car constantly.
Hamilton noted that the team possesses upgrades in the pipeline to help close the gap to their closest rivals.
Title battle heats up in Budapest
The veteran driver currently sits second in the 2026 Drivers’ Championship, trailing championship leader Kimi Antonelli by 45 points.
He reclaimed the runner-up spot from George Russell in Belgium, surviving a five-second penalty for a first-lap collision that spun his former team-mate out.
He now heads to a venue that holds significant historical success for him.
The former Mercedes star boasts a record eight victories in Hungary, and the track was also the scene of his most recent pole position in 2023.
I can’t afford weekends like this in a sense of my performance, so I’m going to step it up in terms of focus level for next week.
Formula 1 stewards have explained the decision to penalise Lewis Hamilton for his opening-lap collision with George Russell during Kimi Antonelli’s victory at the Belgian Grand Prix.
Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli secured victory from pole position at Spa-Francorchamps on Sunday to extend his championship lead to 45 points.
However, much of the post-race debate centred on a controversial opening-lap collision between the Ferrari of Lewis Hamilton and Antonelli’s team-mate George Russell.
The incident forced Russell to retire from the race and consequently drop to third in the drivers’ standings.
Stewards explain penalty discrepancy
Meanwhile, the seven-time world champion finished fourth and subsequently replaced his former Mercedes team-mate in second place overall.
Questions were raised regarding why the Ferrari driver received a five-second time penalty while Charles Leclerc escaped punishment for a separate incident involving McLaren’s Oscar Piastri.
The official verdict revealed that the justifications were heavily reliant on Formula 1’s strict driving guidelines.
Stewards determined that Russell had positioned his car far enough alongside the Ferrari on the outside to warrant legitimate racing room.
Hamilton deemed wholly at fault
The collision was officially triggered by the Maranello team’s car sliding into the Mercedes.
Russell remained within the available racing room and the collision was caused by Hamilton being unable to maintain sufficient separation.
Officials concluded that the 39-year-old was entirely to blame for the crash.
The standard penalty for this type of racing infringement is 10 seconds.
Mitigating factors reduce punishment
This sanction was halved because the veteran driver actively attempted to leave space and made a genuine effort to avoid contact.
Furthermore, leeway is traditionally granted on the opening lap when cars are tightly bunched together.
The stewards also confirmed that the manoeuvre was neither aggressive nor deliberate.
The situation between Leclerc and Piastri was judged differently due to track position.
Why Leclerc escaped punishment
Officials ruled that the Australian was not far enough alongside the Monegasque driver to be entitled to the same treatment as Russell.
Piastri’s front axle was not ahead of the front axle of Leclerc and there was no possibility of completing an overtake from that position.
The ruling concluded that the second-placed finisher did not deliberately crowd the McLaren off the edge of the circuit.
Leclerc ultimately finished second behind the dominant Antonelli, with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen completing the podium in third.
Joey Logano secured his first NASCAR Cup Series victory of the season by holding off Denny Hamlin at North Wilkesboro Speedway on Sunday.
The 36-year-old ended a winless drought dating back to May 2025 at Texas Motor Speedway to claim his 38th career Cup win.
This triumph extends his streak of winning at least one race to 15 consecutive seasons, which is the longest active streak in the sport.
Hamlin was forced to settle for second place, with Chase Briscoe, Ty Gibbs and Shane Van Gisbergen completing the top five.
Historic venue returns to the calendar
The result represents a crucial boost for the three-time champion, who entered the weekend sitting outside the top 16 in the chase for the playoffs.
Logano took control during Stage 2 and dominated proceedings, leading an impressive 323 of the 450 laps in a remarkably clean race that featured just five cautions.
North Wilkesboro Speedway, a 0.625-mile oval built in 1947, was hosting its first official points race in exactly 30 years.
Following extensive refurbishments by Speedway Motorsports to clear weeds and trees, the historic track previously hosted the non-points All-Star race between 2023 and 2025.
Blaney’s tough night and In-Season Challenge
It proved to be a frustrating evening for Ryan Blaney, who was forced to start at the rear of the field due to a power steering pump issue on his Ford Mustang.
The 2023 Cup Series champion later suffered a pit-road speeding penalty on lap 365, which dropped him out of the top five and cost him 15 vital positions.
Despite his struggles, Blaney defeated Christopher Bell head-to-head to reach the finals of the $1 million NASCAR In-Season Challenge.
He will face Todd Gilliland, who eliminated Chase Elliott, in next week’s decider at the Brickyard 400 in Indianapolis.
Bowman and Reddick collide in the pits
Elsewhere on the track, Tyler Reddick’s race was compromised on lap 184 after being cut off by Alex Bowman near pit road.
The incident caused the driver of the number 45 car to spin out after Bowman misjudged his entry.
“I thought I had a hole but maybe I didn’t.”
Bowman admitted to his crew chief over the team radio following the collision.
Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli has extended his lead at the top of the Formula 1 drivers’ championship to 45 points following a commanding victory at the Belgian Grand Prix.
The 19-year-old secured his sixth win of the 2026 season on Sunday, establishing a formidable advantage over Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton with 10 of the 22 scheduled rounds completed.
His triumph at Spa-Francorchamps stands in stark contrast to the Italian’s rookie campaign just 12 months ago.
From rookie struggles to title favourite
Drafted into Mercedes by team principal Toto Wolff to replace the departing Hamilton in 2025, the teenager initially endured a turbulent introduction to the sport’s highest level.
He suffered a dismal run during the middle of last season, finishing above ninth place only once in a 10-race spell.
That difficult period culminated at last year’s Belgian Grand Prix, where he suffered a shock elimination in the first round of qualifying.
“Last year here, I probably reached the bottom, so it was a very difficult weekend for me mentally,”
“But this year was definitely a lot better. If you had asked me last year at this moment, I probably would have said no.”
Overcoming recent mechanical setbacks
The current championship leader’s advantage could be even more substantial had he not encountered recent misfortune.
An engine failure denied him a likely second-place finish behind Hamilton in Barcelona.
A subsequent wheel-guard issue at the British Grand Prix dropped him out of the points while he was hunting down Charles Leclerc for the race lead.
Despite these setbacks, his significant pace advantage over team-mate George Russell has cemented his status as the clear championship favourite.
Focus remains on the championship
The Mercedes prodigy is currently on course to become the youngest world champion in Formula 1 history.
However, he insists he is not taking his unprecedented position for granted as the paddock prepares for the upcoming Hungarian Grand Prix.
“I never want to relax too much,”
“Of course, it’s a great result and good redemption after last year because last year was a very dark moment for me and to get the win is very special.”
“But you can never relax because we have seen in the past how the situation can swing so quickly. So that’s why it’s important to really maximise and take every opportunity.”
Red Bull will revert to a conventional rear wing for the Belgian Grand Prix following two high-speed crashes involving Max Verstappen in recent races.
Reverting to a proven design
Team principal Laurent Mekies confirmed the decision to BBC Sport after the outfit discovered a recurring aerodynamic issue during a recent filming day at Silverstone.
The reigning constructors’ champions had pioneered a radical new design alongside Ferrari this season.
This innovative setup allowed the top flap to rotate more than 180 degrees, providing a larger opening and significantly reducing drag for increased straight-line speed.
‘Super-dangerous’ cornering issues
However, the advanced aerodynamic system has been directly linked to the Dutch driver’s recent incidents during qualifying in Austria and the British Grand Prix.
The underlying problem is believed to stem from airflow failing to reattach quickly enough when the wing closes on the entry to high-speed corners.
This sudden aerodynamic disruption results in a severe loss of rear downforce, which explains the uncharacteristic spins suffered by the three-time world champion.
“It’s quite obvious why,” the championship leader explained at Spa on Thursday.
“We will go back on the old one and see whenever the new one is ready again to be used by us.”
He had previously described the unpredictable handling characteristics caused by the experimental wing as “super-dangerous”.
Impact on the Belgian Grand Prix
The fast, sweeping corners of the iconic Spa-Francorchamps circuit demand immense aerodynamic stability, making the return to a standard straight-line mode a necessary safety precaution.
Mekies declined to elaborate further on the exact technical specifics behind the failure.
The Milton Keynes-based squad will now rely on their older, proven specification as they look to assert their dominance this weekend.
McLaren driver Lando Norris will serve a 10-place grid penalty at Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix after exceeding his permitted allocation of engine components.
The British racer’s car is set to be fitted with a new battery, marking his fourth such component of the current campaign.
This change pushes the 24-year-old one unit beyond the seasonal limit sanctioned by the sport’s governing body.
McLaren opted for the replacement to utilise the newest specification of Mercedes power unit available.
The previous engine lacked crucial reliability upgrades introduced following a string of technical failures earlier this year.
Strategic penalty at Spa
Team management strategically selected the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps to absorb the grid drop due to the track’s overtaking-friendly layout.
This weekend also represents the final race before the Woking-based outfit introduces the first of two major aerodynamic upgrade packages.
The Papaya team has slipped behind their primary rivals recently as competitors successfully implemented mid-season enhancements.
Engineers hope the upcoming developments, scheduled across the Hungarian and Dutch races either side of the summer break, will restore their front-running competitiveness.
Overtaking prospects and confidence
Taking the sanction in Belgium was deemed preferable to risking compromise in Hungary, where track position is paramount and passing remains notoriously difficult.
“I have to wait and see really how the overtaking is,” Norris said ahead of the weekend.
“We probably have a small straight-line speed advantage, comparing to people a little bit further back. So comparing to them we should have a good chance.”
The former Formula 3 European champion noted that while overtaking overall could be challenging, the massive slipstream effect on the long straights offers significant opportunities.
“To just overtake in general could be pretty difficult here, but the slipstream is pretty big,” he added.
“There’s no straight-line mode through some of the flat-out sections, therefore the slipstream is pretty large and you can gain a good amount from that.”
“But we know it’s better than Zandvoort, and better than Hungary taking penalties. I hope it’s not the end of my weekend before it started, but I’m still confident we can have a good race.”
Reliability woes
This latest setback follows a frustrating start to the season regarding both overall pace and mechanical durability.
The specific component triggering the penalty is the ‘power electronics’, a vital control computer housed within the energy storage module.
The Bristol-born driver previously failed to start the Chinese Grand Prix in March after a terminal issue with this exact unit.
A secondary element was subsequently withdrawn following practice issues in Japan, and later experienced another terminal fault during the Monaco weekend.
Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertrains has since developed a series of fixes to resolve these persistent electronic vulnerabilities.