Parc Ferme: Hungaroring’s dirty laundry

However, at last weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix the F1 prophylactic censor machine failed. The airwaves were awash with radio communications that exposed the true personalities of some of its biggest stars and the ensuing chaotic indecision on the Hungaroring pit wall. It was not a good look.

Last week I conveniently suggested that race strategy was starting to become the defining component for success in a Grand Prix. In particular, two women who stood head and shoulders above the rest.

However, at Budapest's Hungaroring one of them, Red Bull Racing’s Hannah Schmitz, blinked. Whereas Mercedes’ Rosie Wait was in top form, helping to secure Lewis Hamilton another podium finish, when he should have been fourth or fifth. Ironically, where Red Bull Racings’ Max Verstappen ended up.

We shouldn’t be too hard on Schmitz here because Verstappen and possibly the RB20’s “magic” brake were umm let’s say, not functioning at their best. You got the feeling the Dutch champion was not fully on his game or hanging onto all his toys.

This was more to do with allowing the frustration of a below par car get to him, rather than his night-time sim racing adventures that had been suggested by some pundits.

Either way, it was not working out on the day at the Hungaroring, and his frustration peaked when a re-match between himself and Lewis over corner rights, left him three-nil down. Arriving at Turn 1 out of control, he then tagged Hamilton and then left the track, out of control.

It's difficult to allocate blame here. However, Max complained that Hamilton moved under braking. JP, his much-maligned engineer thought his protestations “childish”. I can’t think why other than he had access to data that proved it was all Max’s own work.

Regardless, Verstappen continued to blame everyone and everything for his struggles, punctuating the race with a string of expletives that would have made even Yuki Tsunoda blush.

McLaren’s pit wall was doing their best to undermine their drivers at the Hungaroring by monkeying the race strategy and binning another win.

I must say they gave it a good go but fortunately the car and the drivers defeated them. But not before the pit wall embarrassed themselves by having to repeatedly plead with Lando Norris to give back his lead to Oscar Paistri. “Go on, please, pinky please…” It all sounded like amateur night, including Lando with his radio static impressions.

Granted these situations are difficult. I can understand both drivers positions and the teams in terms of needing to be on the same page to win the F1 Championship.

However, Lando trying to prove he was quicker than Piastri was to say the least embarrassing on his part. The team may have publicly acknowledged his superior speed, but in situations like these, they would have said anything.

For me, Piastri outraced Norris at the start and then continued to outdrive him throughout the race. Norris would never have had a sniff if the pit wall hadn’t fluffed the tyre change in the first place.

At the end, there were three McLaren team members on the podium. Two of them drivers - first and second respectively, plus their race strategy director.

However, the happiest man ironically seemed to be a third placed Hamilton. The rest seemed to be silently asking the question what happened?

Piastri: Why is it that my first F1 Grand Prix victory feels so hollow?

Norris: Why am I no longer the de-facto number one driver in the team?

The other, well I don’t think he got passed the first question so here’s a hint: Poor race strategy due to not choosing a lane.