2021 Hungarian Grand Prix: F1 Race, Qualifying & Winners

The 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix delivered one of the season’s great surprises, as Esteban Ocon kept his composure through a chaotic afternoon to claim his first Formula 1 victory. Rain, opening-lap collisions and an extraordinary restart reshaped the field, while Lewis Hamilton recovered to a result that restored his championship lead.

Race Guide

Season: 2021 F1 World Championship
Race date: 1 August 2021
Race start time: 15:00 local time (UTC+02:00)
Circuit: Hungaroring
Laps: 70 laps
Circuit length: 4.381 km
2020 winner: Lewis Hamilton

Pole position
Driver	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes
Time	1:15.419
Fastest lap
Driver	Pierre Gasly	AlphaTauri
Time	1:18.394 on lap 70
Podium
First	Esteban Ocon	Alpine
Second	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes
Third	Carlos Sainz	Ferrari

Weekend Schedule

Date	Session	Local Time
30 July 2021	Practice 1	11:30 – 12:30
30 July 2021	Practice 2	15:00 – 16:00
31 July 2021	Practice 3	12:00 – 13:00
31 July 2021	Qualifying	15:00 – 16:00
1 August 2021	Race	15:00

All times are local (UTC+02:00). The race time is the scheduled start.

Championship background

The championship arrived at the Hungaroring with Verstappen just eight points ahead of Hamilton after their Silverstone collision. Mercedes had narrowed the constructors’ gap too, making the final round before the summer break especially important. The tight circuit normally places a premium on qualifying and track position, but changing conditions would make the Sunday far less predictable.

Race entries

The regular race line-up remained unchanged. Robert Kubica took Kimi Räikkönen‘s Alfa Romeo Racing car for FP1 before handing it back for the rest of the weekend.

Free Practice

Max Verstappen topped FP1 with a 1:17.555, ahead of Valtteri Bottas (+0.061s) and Lewis Hamilton. Verstappen set the opening benchmark, with the Mercedes drivers close behind as the championship rivals began another head-to-head weekend.

Valtteri Bottas topped FP2 with a 1:17.012, ahead of Lewis Hamilton (+0.027s) and Max Verstappen. Bottas led Hamilton in the second session, giving Mercedes a strong Friday finish in the Hungarian heat.

Lewis Hamilton topped FP3 with a 1:16.826, ahead of Max Verstappen (+0.088s) and Valtteri Bottas. Hamilton topped FP3, while Schumacher’s accident left his Haas too badly damaged to take part in qualifying.

Free Practice 1 Classification

2021 Hungarian Grand Prix FP1, 30 July 2021

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	33	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	1:17.555	21
2	77	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes	+0.061s	26
3	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	+0.167s	25
4	55	Carlos Sainz	Ferrari	+0.560s	24
5	10	Pierre Gasly	AlphaTauri	+0.626s	27
6	14	Fernando Alonso	Alpine	+0.830s	26
7	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	+0.836s	23
8	11	Sergio Perez	Red Bull Racing	+0.911s	20
9	4	Lando Norris	McLaren	+1.094s	26
10	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	+1.200s	25
11	31	Esteban Ocon	Alpine	+1.210s	26
12	22	Yuki Tsunoda	AlphaTauri	+1.215s	18
13	5	Sebastian Vettel	Aston Martin	+1.434s	22
14	3	Daniel Ricciardo	McLaren	+1.710s	27
15	63	George Russell	Williams	+2.169s	24
16	6	Nicholas Latifi	Williams	+2.269s	24
17	47	Mick Schumacher	Haas	+2.828s	26
18	88	Robert Kubica	Alfa Romeo Racing	+3.084s	23
19	9	Nikita Mazepin	Haas	+3.437s	23
20	99	Antonio Giovinazzi	Alfa Romeo Racing	+4.334s	5

Free Practice 2 Classification

2021 Hungarian Grand Prix FP2, 30 July 2021

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	77	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes	1:17.012	29
2	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	+0.027s	27
3	33	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	+0.298s	24
4	31	Esteban Ocon	Alpine	+0.747s	29
5	11	Sergio Perez	Red Bull Racing	+0.812s	23
6	10	Pierre Gasly	AlphaTauri	+1.101s	31
7	14	Fernando Alonso	Alpine	+1.157s	27
8	5	Sebastian Vettel	Aston Martin	+1.216s	31
9	4	Lando Norris	McLaren	+1.301s	25
10	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	+1.308s	30
11	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	+1.358s	30
12	55	Carlos Sainz	Ferrari	+1.429s	32
13	3	Daniel Ricciardo	McLaren	+1.725s	26
14	7	Kimi Räikkönen	Alfa Romeo Racing	+2.265s	21
15	63	George Russell	Williams	+2.280s	29
16	6	Nicholas Latifi	Williams	+2.467s	30
17	22	Yuki Tsunoda	AlphaTauri	+2.659s	3
18	47	Mick Schumacher	Haas	+2.805s	29
19	99	Antonio Giovinazzi	Alfa Romeo Racing	+3.174s	28
20	9	Nikita Mazepin	Haas	+4.869s	28

Free Practice 3 Classification

2021 Hungarian Grand Prix FP3, 31 July 2021

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	1:16.826	20
2	33	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	+0.088s	13
3	77	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes	+0.229s	15
4	55	Carlos Sainz	Ferrari	+0.671s	20
5	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	+0.694s	16
6	4	Lando Norris	McLaren	+0.946s	12
7	11	Sergio Perez	Red Bull Racing	+1.091s	12
8	3	Daniel Ricciardo	McLaren	+1.116s	15
9	14	Fernando Alonso	Alpine	+1.166s	15
10	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	+1.224s	16
11	10	Pierre Gasly	AlphaTauri	+1.289s	17
12	31	Esteban Ocon	Alpine	+1.348s	15
13	5	Sebastian Vettel	Aston Martin	+1.409s	15
14	22	Yuki Tsunoda	AlphaTauri	+1.635s	25
15	7	Kimi Räikkönen	Alfa Romeo Racing	+1.857s	21
16	63	George Russell	Williams	+1.968s	14
17	6	Nicholas Latifi	Williams	+1.995s	15
18	99	Antonio Giovinazzi	Alfa Romeo Racing	+2.287s	14
19	47	Mick Schumacher	Haas	+2.580s	15
20	9	Nikita Mazepin	Haas	+3.107s	16

Qualifying

Lewis Hamilton claimed pole position with a 1:15.419, ahead of Valtteri Bottas as Mercedes locked out the front row. Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez filled the second row, with Pierre Gasly fifth and Lando Norris sixth.

Carlos Sainz crashed in Q2 and qualified 15th, while George Russell failed to progress beyond Q1 for the first time that season. Mick Schumacher did not take part after his practice crash and was permitted to race by the stewards. The leading teams had qualified on different tyre strategies, but pre-race rain would make those plans largely irrelevant.

Qualifying Classification

2021 Hungarian Grand Prix Qualifying, 31 July 2021

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Q1	Q2	Q3	Laps
1	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	1:16.424	1:16.553	1:15.419	19
2	77	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes	1:16.569	1:16.702	1:15.734	18
3	33	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	1:16.214	1:15.650	1:15.840	17
4	11	Sergio Perez	Red Bull Racing	1:17.233	1:16.443	1:16.421	16
5	10	Pierre Gasly	AlphaTauri	1:16.874	1:16.394	1:16.483	15
6	4	Lando Norris	McLaren	1:17.081	1:16.385	1:16.489	17
7	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	1:17.084	1:16.574	1:16.496	17
8	31	Esteban Ocon	Alpine	1:17.367	1:16.766	1:16.653	15
9	14	Fernando Alonso	Alpine	1:17.123	1:16.541	1:16.715	15
10	5	Sebastian Vettel	Aston Martin	1:17.105	1:16.794	1:16.750	15
11	3	Daniel Ricciardo	McLaren	1:17.664	1:16.871	—	13
12	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	1:17.038	1:16.893	—	12
13	7	Kimi Räikkönen	Alfa Romeo Racing	1:17.553	1:17.564	—	15
14	99	Antonio Giovinazzi	Alfa Romeo Racing	1:17.776	1:17.583	—	12
15	55	Carlos Sainz	Ferrari	1:16.649	No time	—	5
16	22	Yuki Tsunoda	AlphaTauri	1:17.919	—	—	8
17	63	George Russell	Williams	1:17.944	—	—	8
18	6	Nicholas Latifi	Williams	1:18.036	—	—	8
19	9	Nikita Mazepin	Haas	1:18.922	—	—	9
DNS	47	Mick Schumacher	Haas	No time	—	—	0

Mick Schumacher did not take part in qualifying due to an accident that occurred during the third practice session. He was permitted to race at the stewards’ discretion. He also received a five-place grid penalty for an unscheduled gearbox change. This made no difference as he was already due to start the race from last place.

What happened in the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix?

Esteban Ocon won his first Grand Prix after a composed drive under sustained pressure from Sebastian Vettel. The Alpine driver emerged from the early chaos in the lead and protected it to the flag, while Fernando Alonso played a crucial supporting role by delaying the recovering Lewis Hamilton.

Rain made the opening lap treacherous. Valtteri Bottas ran into Lando Norris under braking, triggering contact that damaged Max Verstappen‘s car and eliminated Sergio Perez. A separate incident involving Lance Stroll and Charles Leclerc added to the disruption. The race was stopped, with several leading contenders already out or badly compromised.

The restart produced an extraordinary sight: Hamilton alone on the grid on intermediate tyres while the other remaining cars entered the pits for slicks. He stopped a lap later and dropped to the back, handing the lead to Ocon. In the pit lane, contact after Kimi Räikkönen‘s release ended Nikita Mazepin‘s race.

Ocon resisted Vettel through the central phase, and Alpine‘s pit work helped him retain the effective lead after their stops. Behind them, Hamilton made progress through the field, using an early stop and later a fresh set of tyres to put himself back in contention.

Alonso then became a formidable obstacle. His defence cost Hamilton valuable time before the Mercedes finally moved ahead and passed Sainz. Ocon still had enough in hand to finish first, with Vettel second on the road and Hamilton third.

The final classification changed after scrutineering. Aston Martin could not provide the required fuel sample from Vettel’s car, and he was disqualified. Hamilton was promoted to second and Sainz to third, with Alonso fourth. Pierre Gasly took fifth and the fastest-lap bonus, ahead of AlphaTauri team-mate Yuki Tsunoda.

Williams celebrated a double-points finish through Nicholas Latifi and George Russell in seventh and eighth. Verstappen brought his damaged Red Bull Racing car home ninth, while Räikkönen collected the final point. The result lifted Hamilton and Mercedes back into the championship leads, but the afternoon belonged to Ocon and Alpine.

The unexpected winner still had to earn the result. Ocon avoided the mistakes that might have opened the door for Vettel and handled the pressure of leading a Grand Prix with authority, turning an unusual opportunity into a breakthrough victory.

2021 Hungarian Grand Prix race results

The 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix was held on 1 August 2021, with a scheduled start of 15:00 local time.

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Laps	Time / Retired	Pts.
1	31	Esteban Ocon	Alpine	70	2:04:43.199	25
2	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	70	+2.736s	18
3	55	Carlos Sainz	Ferrari	70	+15.018s	15
4	14	Fernando Alonso	Alpine	70	+15.651s	12
5	10	Pierre Gasly	AlphaTauri	70	+63.614s	11
6	22	Yuki Tsunoda	AlphaTauri	70	+75.803s	8
7	6	Nicholas Latifi	Williams	70	+77.910s	6
8	63	George Russell	Williams	70	+79.094s	4
9	33	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	70	+80.244s	2
10	7	Kimi Räikkönen	Alfa Romeo Racing	69	+1 lap	1
11	3	Daniel Ricciardo	McLaren	69	+1 lap	0
12	47	Mick Schumacher	Haas	69	+1 lap	0
13	99	Antonio Giovinazzi	Alfa Romeo Racing	69	+1 lap	0
Ret	9	Nikita Mazepin	Haas	3	Collision	0
Ret	4	Lando Norris	McLaren	2	Collision damage	0
Ret	77	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes	0	Collision	0
Ret	11	Sergio Perez	Red Bull Racing	0	Collision	0
Ret	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	0	Collision	0
Ret	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	0	Collision	0
DSQ	5	Sebastian Vettel	Aston Martin	70	Fuel sample (+1.918)	0

Pierre Gasly earned the additional point for fastest lap.

Antonio Giovinazzi qualified 14th, but his place on the grid was left vacant as he came into the pit during the formation lap.

Sebastian Vettel finished second on track, but was later disqualified because the required one-litre (0.22 imp gal; 0.26 US gal) fuel sample could not be extracted from his car during post-race scrutineering.

2021 Hungarian Grand Prix Fastest Laps

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Lap	Time of Day	Time	Avg. Speed
1	10	Pierre Gasly	AlphaTauri	70	17:08:59	1:18.394	201.183
2	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	49	16:39:39	1:18.715	200.363
3	14	Fernando Alonso	Alpine	41	16:28:37	1:20.359	196.264
4	33	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	43	16:32:12	1:20.945	194.843
5	31	Esteban Ocon	Alpine	54	16:46:08	1:21.421	193.704
6	55	Carlos Sainz	Ferrari	54	16:46:15	1:21.423	193.699
7	5	Sebastian Vettel	Aston Martin	60	16:54:19	1:21.459	193.613
8	7	Kimi Räikkönen	Alfa Romeo Racing	58	16:53:08	1:21.518	193.473
9	63	George Russell	Williams	62	16:58:15	1:22.112	192.074
10	22	Yuki Tsunoda	AlphaTauri	43	16:31:33	1:22.450	191.286
11	47	Mick Schumacher	Haas	44	16:33:45	1:22.711	190.683
12	99	Antonio Giovinazzi	Alfa Romeo Racing	44	16:33:46	1:22.736	190.625
13	3	Daniel Ricciardo	McLaren	58	16:52:47	1:22.802	190.473
14	6	Nicholas Latifi	Williams	62	16:58:03	1:22.831	190.406

Only drivers with a recorded lap time appear in this table. Time of Day is local time; average speeds are in km/h.

2021 Post-Race F1 Championship Standings

Championship standings for drivers and teams after the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix.

2021 Post-Race F1 Drivers’ Championship Standings

POS	Driver	Nationality	Car	PTS
1	Lewis Hamilton	GBR	Mercedes	195
2	Max Verstappen	NED	Red Bull Racing	187
3	Lando Norris	GBR	McLaren	113
4	Valtteri Bottas	FIN	Mercedes	108
5	Sergio Perez	MEX	Red Bull Racing	104
6	Carlos Sainz	ESP	Ferrari	83
7	Charles Leclerc	MON	Ferrari	80
8	Pierre Gasly	FRA	AlphaTauri	50
9	Daniel Ricciardo	AUS	McLaren	50
10	Esteban Ocon	FRA	Alpine	39
11	Fernando Alonso	ESP	Alpine	38
12	Sebastian Vettel	GER	Aston Martin	30
13	Yuki Tsunoda	JPN	AlphaTauri	18
14	Lance Stroll	CAN	Aston Martin	18
15	Nicholas Latifi	CAN	Williams	6
16	George Russell	GBR	Williams	4
17	Kimi Räikkönen	FIN	Alfa Romeo Racing	2
18	Antonio Giovinazzi	ITA	Alfa Romeo Racing	1
19	Mick Schumacher	GER	Haas	0
20	Nikita Mazepin	RAF	Haas	0

RAF denotes the neutral Russian Automobile Federation designation used by Nikita Mazepin in 2021.

2021 Post-Race F1 Constructors’ Championship Standings

POS	Car	PTS
1	Mercedes	303
2	Red Bull Racing	291
3	Ferrari	163
4	McLaren	163
5	Alpine	77
6	AlphaTauri	68
7	Aston Martin	48
8	Williams	10
9	Alfa Romeo Racing	3
10	Haas	0