F1 – Hungary Grand Prix race LIVE: Start time, leaderboard and lap-by-lap updates as Oscar Piastri leapfrogs Lando Norris on the first lap with Max Verstappen hunting down Lewis Hamilton in third

Lewis Hamilton’s pace is falling off a cliff.

Max Verstappen is now within two-and-a-half seconds of the British driver, and chunks are being taken out of that gap every lap.

I feel the Dutchman will take third place pretty soon, the way it’s going.

That is Fernando Alonso at his best.

The Aston Martin driver tries to take Nico Hulkenberg but he doesn’t risk it at first.

20 seconds later, he does, Hulkenberg locks up and Alonso flies past him.

Meanwhile, Oscar Piastri casually puts in the fastest lap of the race.

Here is how things stand after 25 laps.

McLaren have their one-two in tact as Piastri leads from Norris.

Hamilton is flying, but he is under pressure from Max Verstappen as the Red Bull driver eats up the ground.

It’s all getting very interesting.

Max Verstappen is really moving.

He is now with five seconds of Lewis Hamilton in the final podium position and is the faster driver on the track.

Hamilton will be getting nervy…

Oscar Piastri hits the front again.

Charles Leclerc decides to pit and now the Australian has raced back into first.

He is over three seconds ahead of Lando Norris.

Meanwhile, Max Verstappen has just put in the race’s fastest lap…

Lewis Hamilton is really in this race, I mean it, he is on for a podium.

He does another fastest lap and is now within two seconds of Lando Norris in third.

Hamilton has to make sure he takes care of the tyres, though.

Here we go then Max Verstappen and Red Bull have chosen to pit.

He comes back out behind Lewis Hamilton in fifth, while Carlos Sainz also pits and falls to ninth.

Hamilton has just done a faster lap, he really is loving this race.

1. Verstappen
2. Leclerc
3. Sainz
4. Piastri – one stop
5. Norris – one stop
6. Hamilton – one stop

Lewis Hamilton on Mercedes team radio:

These tyres definitely have less grip!

Max Verstappen leads the Grand Prix!

Well, sort of, both the McLaren’s pit and with Verstappen staying out he is now out in front.

This is going to get very exciting now. As if it wasn’t already.

Lewis Hamilton has a fantastic out-lap and overtakes Yuki Tsynoda into sixth. he is flying.

Red Bull decide to keep Max Verstappen out and not respond to the undercut.

Lewis Hamilton is going for the undercut on Max Verstappen.

He pits onto hard tyres as he tries to get the jump on the Red Bull.

This undercut strategy is so powerful…

Lance Stroll is overtaken by Kevin Magnusson, but he pits and within one lap is back out in front.

A brilliant pit strategy.

I’m very confused at what McLaren just told Lando Norris.

He still seems to be driving well and is racing clear of Max Verstappen in third, the gap is three seconds.

Norris is just over three seconds behind Piastri as it stands.

McLaren team radio to Lando Norris:

Your race is with Verstappen, Lando.

That’s an odd statement…

Lewis Hamilton may be moving well, but he has a Ferrari sniffing about behind him.

Charles Leclerc moves within one and a half seconds of his Merc, and he senses something here.

This is how things stand after lap 10.

It’s very good viewing if you are a McLaren fan, and even Mercedes as they start to make moves.

Oscar Piastri still leads.

Oooh, this is getting tasty…

The man who took Valtteri Bottas’ place at Mercedes a couple of years ago is now fighting to jump ahead of him into ninth.

Bottas is staying strong.

Lando Norris is now two seconds clear of Max Verstappen in third, while Lewis Hamilton starts to catch the Dutchman.

Oscar Piastri, meanwhile, is flying out in front and nearly three seconds ahead of his team-mate.

The undercut really has worked to perfection for Kevin Magnusson. he stopped prior to Daniel Ricciardo and now he overtakes him into 17th.

Lots going on to hard tyres and it’s certainly working.

George Russel is staying out there as he started on hards.

Alex Albon and Esteban Ocon both pit as they both attempt an undercut as they change to hard tyres.

Meanwhile, Max Verstappen goes out of range of DRS on Lando Norris. The McLaren’s are flying.

1. Piastri
2. Norris
3. Verstappen
4. Hamilton
5. Leclerc

Max Verstappen on the team radio:

I got forced off. I was ahead at the apex and he just opened the wheel so I got forced off.

Lando Norris is back into second place.

Max Verstappen is very happy, but I’m not quite sure why, I think it’s completely fair.

Piastri leads Norris by 2.4 seconds as it stands.

So, Oscar Piastri still leads and he is streaking away from Max Verstappen.

Red Bull are recommending Verstappen let the place back…

He is not happy about it.

Lando Norris is complaining over the radio that Max Verstappen needs to give him a place back.

The Dutchman has been noted for gaining an advantage, so the race director is getting involved.

A crazy start to this race!

OSCAR PIASTRI LEADS AT TURN ONE…

The top three go into the corner alongside each other and Max Verstappen goes off the track.

Lando Norris falls to third. Oh dear.

I’m extremely excited about this one, it’s going to be glorious.

Lando Norris manages to lead the pack off on the formation lap, I wonder how his throttle is faring?

We have heard that it’s ok, that will be a relief to him.

I love the new f1 music, it really gets me hyped.

Sky Sports are currently running through the grid and all I can focus on is the music, it’s a bop.

Anyway, we are closing in on the start.

Oh, how wonderful is the weather in Hungary?

It’s making me jealous that I am sitting in the UK, its great skies outside of my office.

The drivers are trying to keep themselves cool in such hot conditions. It’s not going to be the nicest to be in the driving seat.

I wonder how Lando Norris is feeling?

There are still a pack of McLaren mechanics surrounding Norris’ care looking extremely stressed.

It looks like it may be solved soon, though.

Norris himself has an umbrella hanging over his head and he looks rather calm.

He starts the race in just 10 minutes time!

What a day McLaren had yesterday, one of their best in over a decade.

Their last front-row lockout was back in 2012 when Lewis Hamilton took pole in front of then-teammate Jenson Button at the Brazilian Grand Prix.

However, Button went on to win the race the next day with Hamilton crashing out.

Is that an omen for today?

Well, will Oscar Piastri’s ears prick up after hearing that news?

Probably not, I mean it is his teammate after all.

But with Lando Norris’ car seemingly having problems before the race, it’s a great chance for Piastri to try and take the front.

He is yet to claim his first win in Formula One…

Is today the day that changes?

Lando Norris, McLaren driver, speaking on the team radio:

Something is definitely not right with the throttle, it’s not how it should be.

Oh dear. A nightmare build-up to the start for Norris.

Lots of red, lots of orange, lots of people.

The Hungaroring is as vibrant as it can be as the race closes in with each passing minute.

The sun is out and fans are smiling. They all know they are in for a great day.

It’s what you love to see.

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes driver, speaking ahead of the race:

I’m hoping I can get past the Ferrari but if I can then I’m going to give everything to try and hold onto the McLaren’s. I think in true pace they are still one or two-tenths ahead of us in the race, so it will be tough.

We definitely can’t fight in these conditions for a win, but if it rains then of course that changes things. I don’t see any rain clouds anywhere near.

• 2023 – Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
• 2022 – Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
• 2021 – Esteban Ocon (Alpine)
• 2020 – Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
• 2019 – Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
• 2018 – Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
• 2017 – Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari)
• 2016 – Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
• 2015 – Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari)
• 2014 – Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull)

What can we expect from Lewis Hamilton today?

Just two weeks ago we witnessed him take his first race victory since 2021, it was a very emotional day for the Brit.

Today he starts fifth and is certainly within a fighting chance of a podium.

With the pressure of that winless streak off his shoulders, it will be interesting to see how he races today.

We know that he loves the Hungaroring – if you stay on this page you will figure out why in just a second…

He certainly seems in high spirits!

I mean, what does he have to lose?

Pierre Gasly has not had an enjoyable weekend in Hungary thus far as he finished rock bottom in qualifying.

So, he and Alpine decided to install a new control electronics unit and power store in his car.

This means Gasly will start from the it lane.

The Hungarian Grand Prix is always one of the races I look forward to most in the season.

It’s a staple of the calendar, you can’t have F1 without a race in Hungary.

So, with that in mind, here are some of the stats you need to know about the Hungaroring:

• Track Length – 4.381km
• Lap record – 1m 16.627s, Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, 2020
• Most wins – Lewis Hamilton (8)
• Pit stop time loss – 20.56 seconds
• Safety Car probability – 25%*
• Virtual Safety Car probability – 25%*

Max Verstappen, Formula One standings leader, speaking on Saturday:

I love competition but I like being on top of the competition. At the moment I feel like we are chasing and having a few more difficult weekends, I don’t back out of a fight but it’s just a tricky situation I guess.

Let’s see, the last few races, especially the McLaren has been really good in the race even compared to qualifying. Today was a lot colder than expected I guess with the clouds and the rain, tomorrow is going to be quite a different day and I just hope that will help us.

I mean, it’s not really been a drought, but Max Verstappen will be desperate to get back onto that top step.

He has failed to claim victory in his last two grand prix, last reigning supreme at the Spanish Grand Prix in June.

I know it’s only been a month, but with the form that Verstappen has been in over the last few years, it’s too many GP’s for him.

He will be desperate to stop the British three-peat.

Today is massive for Lando Norris, and that is an understatement.

He has done the first job of securing pole position, but he knows better than anyone that it doesn’t always guarantee race success.

Prior to this weekend, Norris had two poles to his name from Russi in 2021, and the Spanish Grand Prix in June.

Both times he failed to translate them into race victories.

The Russian Grand Prix was particularly brutal as he suffered late heartbreak due to rain after being laps from victory.

He won’t want history to repeat itself today.

I feel like I’m back at Euro 2024 all over again.

We saw Dutch football fans in Germany bounce around in their masses prior to all of their matches.

Well, it seems Formula One fans from the Netherlands do the same thing, they are having a whale of a time.

Seeing this always puts a smile on my face.

Lando Norris, McLaren, after claiming pole yesterday:

We are in the best position for whatever the conditions throw at us, I’m looking forward to it. Two cars on the front row, we can control it from there so as long as we stay where we are, we will be happy.

I’m expecting to [do well], if I don’t it’s not been a good day. The car is doing well, I feel like I’m driving well so it’s obvious what the aim is for tomorrow.

I think we should remind ourselves of what positions each driver will be starting in today.

Lando Norris will be leading the pack after claiming only his third pole position in his Formula One career.

Oscar Piastri starts just behind him in a McLaren front-row lockout, while Max Verstappen will be poised to attack early from third place.

There are some big hitters at the back as Sergio Perez starts in a lowly 16th with Geroge Russell a place below him.

Here is the grid in full:

1. Lando Norris
2. Oscar Piastri
3. Max Verstappen
4. Carlos Sainz
5. Lewis Hamilton
6. Charles Leclerc
7. Fernando Alonso
8. Lance Stroll
9. Daniel Ricciardo
10. Yuki Tsunoda
11. Nico Hulkenberg
12. Valtteri Bottas
13. Alex Albon
14. Logan Sargeant
15. Kevin Magnusson
16. Sergio Perez
17. George Russell
18. Guanyu zhou
19. Esteban Ocon
20. Pierre Gasly

I’m sorry, I just had to…

It’s been a fabulous weekend in Hungary so far and now the time for the show-stopping event is nearly here.

After storming to pole in qualifying yesterday, Lando Norris will lead the pack out at the Hungaroring at 2pm, with his teammate Oscar Piastri just behind him.

Can Norris convert this pole into a victory? We know he has had trouble in the past…

Well, we will find out what Norris has turned up in 90 minutes.