If you’d told me, back in the days when the Hungaroring was a dusty, Soviet-era curiosity and McLaren’s greatest threat was a Ferrari with a V12 and a moustachioed Frenchman at the wheel, that one day I’d be writing about a McLaren one-two in Free Practice 3—while Red Bull floundered in the midfield—I’d have asked what you’d been drinking. Yet here we are, August 2nd, 2025, and the world has turned upside down. Or perhaps, as history so often reminds us, it’s simply spinning in circles.
Papaya Sunrise: McLaren’s Statement of Intent
The final practice session before qualifying at the 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix was less a warm-up and more a declaration of war. Oscar Piastri, the quietly lethal Australian, set the benchmark with a 1:14.916, just 0.032 seconds ahead of his teammate Lando Norris. The two McLarens, resplendent in papaya, looked untouchable—at least for now.
Charles Leclerc, ever the bridesmaid in red, was nearly four-tenths adrift, with Lewis Hamilton (yes, still here, still fast) in fourth, and Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli rounding out the top five. But the real shock was buried further down the order: Max Verstappen, four-time world champion and perennial favourite, languished in twelfth, over 1.2 seconds off the pace.
Let’s pause for a moment and appreciate the absurdity. McLaren, a team that spent much of the last decade oscillating between “promising” and “perpetually rebuilding,” now looks like the class of the field. Meanwhile, Red Bull—once the masters of Saturday morning sandbagging and Sunday afternoon domination—are, to put it politely, in the weeds.
The Numbers Don’t Lie: FP3 Results Table
| Pos | Driver | Team | Time | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 1:14.916 | 16 |
| 2 | Lando Norris | McLaren | +0.032s | 19 |
| 3 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | +0.399s | 16 |
| 4 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | +0.768s | 17 |
| 5 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | +0.829s | 17 |
| 6 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | +0.878s | 18 |
| 7 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | +0.912s | 21 |
| 8 | George Russell | Mercedes | +0.924s | 16 |
| 9 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Kick Sauber | +1.062s | 18 |
| 10 | Nico Hulkenberg | Kick Sauber | +1.109s | 20 |
| 11 | Oliver Bearman | Haas | +1.211s | 16 |
| 12 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | +1.246s | 18 |
| 13 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | +1.331s | 20 |
| 14 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | +1.455s | 20 |
| 15 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | +1.526s | 18 |
| 16 | Alexander Albon | Williams | +1.614s | 19 |
| 17 | Esteban Ocon | Haas | +1.615s | 17 |
| 18 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | +1.654s | 22 |
| 19 | Yuki Tsunoda | Red Bull | +1.962s | 19 |
| 20 | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls | +2.040s | 17 |
Red Bull Blues: Verstappen’s Hungarian Hangover
If you’re a Red Bull fan, you might want to look away. Verstappen’s twelfth place wasn’t just a blip; it was the continuation of a weekend-long struggle. The Dutchman, who has made a habit of turning Friday woes into Saturday miracles, found no such redemption here. His radio summed it up best:
Agh, you try to fix the rear, and it goes into understeer.
Max Verstappen
It’s a phrase that could have been lifted from any number of frustrated drivers over the years, but coming from Verstappen, it carries extra weight. This is a man who, for the better part of a decade, has bent cars to his will. Today, the RB21 bent back.
Yuki Tsunoda, his teammate, fared even worse—nineteenth, nearly two seconds off the pace, and reportedly telling Red Bull to “wake up” over the radio. The team that once set the standard for adaptability and relentless development now looks, dare I say it, lost.
The Aston Martin Renaissance (Sort Of)
While the headlines will focus on McLaren’s dominance and Red Bull’s woes, let’s spare a thought for Aston Martin. Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll quietly slotted into sixth and seventh, respectively, continuing a trend of solid, if unspectacular, performances. For a team that spent much of last year in the doldrums, this is progress.
Alonso, ever the philosopher, once said, You must always look for the silver lining, even if it’s painted British Racing Green. (Alright, he didn’t say that, but he should have.) The Aston Martins aren’t about to challenge for pole, but they’re firmly in the mix for points—and on a circuit where overtaking is as rare as a Hungarian rainstorm, that counts for something.
Ferrari: The Eternal Bridesmaid
Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, now teammates in red, continue to play the role of “best of the rest.” Leclerc’s lap was tidy, but four-tenths off the McLarens. Hamilton, meanwhile, was nearly eight-tenths adrift. It’s a familiar story: Ferrari close, but not quite close enough.
There was, however, a moment of levity in the Ferrari garage as Leclerc, asked about his new contract, quipped:
Fred has an incredible vision, and I think what is difficult within Ferrari is, the emotion is very much part of the daily job because Italian people are extremely passionate about Ferrari. But Fred really knows how to leave his emotions aside and have a clear vision of where we are at, no matter how much noise there is around the team.
Charles Leclerc
If only that vision included a few more tenths of a second.
The Young and the Restless: Antonelli and Bearman Impress
Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes’ latest wunderkind, put in a quietly impressive performance to finish fifth, ahead of more experienced teammate George Russell. Oliver Bearman, meanwhile, continues to show flashes of brilliance in the Haas, finishing just outside the top ten.
It’s easy to forget, amid the noise of established stars, that Formula 1 is always about the next generation. Today, Antonelli and Bearman reminded us that the future is already here—and it’s fast.
Chaos in the Midfield: Traffic, Spins, and a Bit of Drama
No Hungarian Grand Prix weekend would be complete without a bit of chaos. Isack Hadjar, the Racing Bulls rookie, spun at the final corner, narrowly avoiding the barriers and triggering a brief yellow flag. Esteban Ocon and Yuki Tsunoda exchanged radio barbs over perceived blocking, while Norris muscled his way through traffic, much to the chagrin of his rivals.
As ever, the Hungaroring’s tight confines and relentless traffic made for frayed tempers and frayed nerves. Or, as I like to call it, Saturday morning in Budapest.
Historical Parallels: When the World Turns Upside Down
Now, a word on history. If you’re looking for precedent—a McLaren one-two in Hungarian GP FP3, Red Bulls out of the top ten—you’ll be searching a long time. The archives are silent on such matters. Free Practice 3, after all, is a relatively modern invention, and McLaren’s last era of true dominance predates the current format.
But that’s the beauty of Formula 1: just when you think you’ve seen it all, the sport throws you a curveball. Today’s session was a reminder that, in F1, the only constant is change.
The Battle Ahead: Qualifying Looms
So, what does it all mean for qualifying? If you believe in omens, McLaren are the team to beat. But as any seasoned observer will tell you, practice is just that—practice. The Hungaroring has a way of humbling the overconfident and rewarding the patient.
Red Bull, for all their struggles, have a habit of finding pace when it matters. Ferrari, eternally on the cusp, could yet spring a surprise. And somewhere in the midfield, a rookie dreams of glory.
For now, though, the story belongs to McLaren. After years in the wilderness, they stand on the brink of something special. Whether they seize the moment or let it slip through their fingers is a question for this afternoon.
Waste a Bit More Time
If you’re as addicted to the drama as I am, here are a few ways to prolong your procrastination:
- Read the full FP3 report and analysis at PlanetF1
- Dive into the session’s minute-by-minute drama at F1i.com
- For the Red Bull faithful, commiserate with Max’s fans at news.verstappen.com
- Relive the session’s best moments and see the full classification at The Telegraph
- For a bit of social media spice, check out the official F1 X.com post: Formula 1 (@F1) – August 2, 2025
- And if you want to see the session’s highlights in moving pictures, here’s a YouTube link to the best bits
