These Two Teams Struggle After the Hungarian Grand Prix
The Haas and Alpine Formula 1 teams have experienced a whirlwind of a season for 2025. Some weekends have been better than others, but following the Hungarian Grand Prix, we know a few things for sure. Haas driver Esteban Ocon started and finished fifth in the Belgian Grand Prix Spring, but could not make it over the first Qualifying section at the Hungarian Grand Prix. He ended up staring at P17, but he did progress to the top 10 positions on a one-stop strategy. Unfortunately, that did not work out in his favor, as he lost the places he had gained, leading him to finish in P16. Ocon admits that the team needs to focus on consistency, especially after such a struggle for pace in Hungary.
Ocon comes forward to question the strategy the team used, and ultimately noticed that the cars that had been behind him were quicker on the fresh tires. This goes to show that some strategies are simply better than others. Haas and Ocon are not the only ones who have struggled thus far, though; Alpine and their number one driver, Pierre Gasly, have been proven simply to be too slow. Gasly and his teammate, Franco Colapinto, had a tough time at the Hungarian Grand Prix, with the men in pink finishing in P18 and P19. This is the absolute last place to be for any driver, so with Colapinto starting at P14 and Gasly at P17, this was the worst outcome possible. The track is one where overtaking can be hard, and this proved to be the truth as Gasly was given a 10-second penalty after a collision with Williams driver Carlos Sainz in the battle for P15. Gasly finished the race at P17, but with such a heavy penalty, he was demoted to last place on the grid.
Back at Silverstone, Gasly made his way into the points, crossing the checkered flag in P6, and at Spa, he finished in P10. These crucial finishes have kept Alpine’s points, but now with such devastating results, they are 15 points behind Haas as they battle for ninth place in the Constructors’ Championship. Both teams will hopefully focus on their pacing and strategy as the rest of the season continues. Only time will tell how these drivers and teams will perform in the upcoming race in the Netherlands on August 31st.
