Ferrari extended Fred Vasseur’s contract as team boss, silencing rumours that the Frenchman was being replaced. Vasseur joined the team before the 2023 season to replace Mattia Binotto, having been the CEO of Sauber since 2017. Although Ferrari has not yet returned to its championship-winning glory, the team continues to be competitive, currently sitting P2 in the World Constructors’ Championship standings. But performance has not been perfect, as highlighted by the team’s lacklustre results that leave the team winless thus far in 2025. Over the past few weeks, rumours began circulating that Vasseur would be replaced at Ferrari. The speculation intensified after the shocking exit of Red Bull team boss Christian Horner. Despite this, Ferrari remains committed to the Frenchman, inking a new deal that’s expected to run for multiple seasons.
Williams has recruited former Sauber COO Axel Kruse as Operations Director. Kruse, who will start his new role after the summer break, was Sauber’s Chief Operating Officer for the past 15 years. He will replace Frederic Brousseau, who joined the team in Spring 2023.
Revolut will be the title sponsor of the Audi F1 Team for its debut season. The British-based online banking service has reached a “landmark” long-term agreement with the team. In addition to sponsoring the team, Revolut will also play a role in the team’s financial operations. Audi will make its F1 debut next season, taking over the Sauber team.
Former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner is purchasing the Tech3 MotoGP team. The deal is estimated to be worth €20m and is the first major acquisition since Liberty Media purchased the series. Currently competing in MotoGP and Moto3, the team has won eight Manufacturers’ Championship titles since their debut in 2000. Steiner was the Haas team principal from inception until the team failed to renew his contract at the end of 2023.
Bernie Ecclestone responded to rumours that he would join forces with axed Red Bull team principal Christian Horner to purchase a share of Alpine. Ecclestone dismissed the speculation, insisting there is “more chance of Lewis winning his eighth title than that happening.” Ecclestone was the F1 Supremo, largely responsible for transforming Formula One into the commercial empire it is today. In 1987, he founded the Formula One Group, where he controlled the commercial rights to F1 until the sport was sold to Liberty Media in 2017.
Aston Martin has reached an agreement with a buyer to sell its minority stake in the namesake F1 team. The deal is worth $146m, valuing the team at $3.2b. This is far more than Lawrence Stroll initially invested in the team when he paid $117m to purchase the financially struggling Force India team back in 2018. As the deal has not yet been finalized, the buyer of the stake is unknown. The sale of Aston Martin’s 4.6% ownership will see the British automotive company completely cut ties to the team.
The Hungarian Grand Prix weekend began with Lando Norris setting the pace in the opening free practice session of the weekend. Felipe Drugovich was behind the wheel of Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin after the Spaniard opted to sit out the session to rest a muscle injury sustained at the Belgian Grand Prix. Paul Aron made his second rookie appearance for Sauber, but it was cut short by a technical issue with the car. Norris set the pace early on, temporarily being bested by Charles Leclerc before improving his pace. Leclerc dropped to P3 before the end of the session, with Oscar Piastri setting a time just 0.019s adrift of his teammate.
The top three drivers would remain unchanged in the second free practice session of the weekend, although Lando Norris led by a larger margin. Max Verstappen struggled with the balance of the Red Bull, but didn’t throw in the towel. But he did throw a rag on the circuit in a bizarre incident that caught the attention of the stewards. It had been left in the car after the team made adjustments, and the Dutchman opted to dispose of it rather than returning to the pit lane. Fernando Alonso returned to action after sitting out FP1, finishing P5 just behind teammate Lance Stroll.
It was Oscar Piastri’s turn on top of the timing sheet, narrowly outpacing his teammate. Lando Norris was just 0.032s slower than Piastri, but was ahead of Charles Leclerc by nearly 0.4s. Ferrari showed strong pace in the session, with Lewis Hamilton also finishing in the top five with a solid P4 pace, albeit nearly 0.4s off of his teammate’s time.
Charles Leclerc earned a shocking pole position in qualifying, in a hard-fought battle that saw the top four drivers lap within 0.053s of each other. Oscar Piastri set the time to beat in Q1 but was beaten by teammate Lando Norris in Q2. Lewis Hamilton failed to make it to Q3, placing the blame squarely on himself. After the session, he said he was “absolutely useless”. Kimi Antonelli was another disappointed Q2 exit, failing to rebound after a poor qualifying in Belgium. As temperatures decreased for Q3, Leclerc and George Russell became more competitive. It was Leclerc would stole the show with a surprise run to pole position, out-pacing Piastri by just 0.026s. It was the Monegasque driver’s first pole position since last year’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
The race was won by Lando Norris, after a pit strategy gamble gave him the edge. Norris had the best start of the leading cars, but was shuffled out of position in the first corner, dropping to P5. He quickly returned to P4, but showcased the difficulty of overtaking around the Hungaroring by getting stuck behind George Russell. Oscar Piastri failed to undercut polesitter Charles Leclerc in the first round of pit stops, with both teams performing blazing fast stops. McLaren opted to put Norris on a one-stop strategy, which would give him the lead after the second round of pit stops. Leclerc struggled in the latter half of the race, expressing his frustrations with the team over the radio with some cryptic messages. In the closing laps, he fell out of the podium-scoring positions, being overtaken by Russell. Piastri attempted to challenge Norris in the final laps, but locked up heavily after attempting a very late dive bomb, forcing him to settle for P2. Click here to read a full summary of the race.
The Hungarian Grand Prix marks the start of the Formula One summer break, which will see no racing action until the end of the month. The Dutch Grand Prix is the next race on the calendar, but won’t not be held until August 31.
It can be challenging for even the most avid fans to keep up with the fast-paced world of Formula One. The Weekly F1 Recap is a series published each Monday that breaks down the action, both on and off the circuit, into bit-sized pieces. It's perfect for casual and experienced fans alike.
