The Formula One circus rolls around to the Hungarian Grand Prix for the final race of the 2025 season before the summer break.
The Hungaroring produced one of the most chaotic races in Formula One’s history in 2021, in the midst of one of the greatest seasons ever. Turn one chaos produced an unexpected winner, who stood on the podium for the very first time.
We had changeable conditions, a lap one pile-up, and Lewis Hamilton lining up on the starting grid all by himself. Here, we re-live the crazy race in Hungary.
Valtteri Bottas causes turn one chaos
The Mercedes of Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas lined up on the front row of a greasy, but drying, Hungaroring. They looked incredibly quick all weekend and fans were prepared for a comfortable one-two.
But Bottas got bogged down on the start, losing positions and he was swallowed up by the pack. Max Verstappen was second behind his championship rival Hamilton, and Lando Norris got up to third.
Then, chaos. Bottas misjudged his braking point and smashed into the back of Norris. Norris t-boned Verstappen, and Bottas then collided with the second Red Bull of Sergio Perez. Bottas took out both Red Bulls and himself, causing a red flag.
Lewis Hamilton lines up on the grid alone
After the red flag, the teams sent out the drivers on intermediate tyres. But the track was dry. Every single driver recognised this and dived into the pits to change to slicks. Every driver but Hamilton.
Hamilton continued on and lined up on the grid as the lone car in one of the strangest visuals ever. It was a costly error. He emerged from the pits a lap later in last.
Esteban Ocon led the race for Alpine, followed by Sebastian Vettel for Aston Martin in a crazy grid order.
Lewis Hamilton charges through the field after Mercedes’ strategy undercuts Max Verstappen
Hamilton began his charge back into the race. He set fastest laps straight away before pitting early. That meant he undercut his title rival Verstappen, who was back in the race in a damaged car, and Daniel Ricciardo in a double move at turn one.
The Brit carved through the field as he hunted down Ocon, who held off Vettel through the pit stop phase to cling onto the race lead.
Hamilton looked certain to catch them and break Alpine hearts, but suddenly, an old contender arrived.
Fernando Alonso heroically holds off Lewis Hamilton
The seven-time world champion arrived at the back of his former McLaren teammate Fernando Alonso, one of the greatest defensive drivers of all time,
He was looking to cruise past Alonso in his much faster Mercedes as he had done to the rest of the field. It wasn’t that simple. A defensive masterclass from Alonso held up Hamilton for 11 laps.
Intense side-by-side driving, corner after corner, saw Alonso, a two-time world champion himself, hang on to his position in support of his Alpine teammate Ocon. It took until lap 65, when the Spaniard finally made an error with a lock-up into turn one, for Hamilton to get past.
Esteban Ocon holds off Vettel to take maiden win
Hamilton continued his charge, fighting past another Spaniard in Carlos Sainz to take a podium position. He then had three laps to make up 10 seconds on Vettel and Ocon.
With two of F1’s all-time greats bearing down on him, Ocon held his nerve. He held off Vettel, one of Red Bull’s best-ever drivers with four championships won, for the entire race to hang onto the lead.
A crucial assist from Alonso meant Ocon became a Grand Prix winner for the first time in one of the most chaotic races the sport has ever seen.