Leclerc stopped early for fresh tires and was followed by Piastri, both now committed to a two-stop race. Norris was back in fifth with little chance of winning at that point, and so he extended his first stint and would only change tires once. By the end of the race, his tires would be old and worn compared to the fresher rubber of Leclerc and Piastri, but they would have to make up the time of a second visit to pitlane.
Leclerc was able to keep in front of Piastri at his second stop as well, and both drivers were stationary for just two seconds as their crews swarmed over the cars. But that single stop of Norris’ was even faster at 1.9 seconds, and while he was driving slower than his teammate, he held track position at the front and was driving flawlessly.
If that sounds nuts, those aren’t even the fastest pitstops in F1 history. F1 lets many more team members participate in a pitstop than just about any other form of motorsport, and now that they just change tires and don’t refuel, it really has become blink-and-you’ll-miss-it stuff. And where NASCAR teams recruit former D1 college athletes to form their pit crews, all the people you see in an F1 pit stop have an actual day job with the team in addition to their tire-changing duties.
Hungary’s trophies—held here by winner Lando Norris—are rather distinctive porcelain rather than the more usual precious metals.
Credit:
Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images
A problem with Leclerc’s car cost him at least a couple of seconds a lap, and what had once looked like Ferrari’s only chance of victory this year evaporated into fourth place. Piastri was almost as dejected at the end; he closed up on Norris with six laps to go but couldn’t make his way past and had to settle for second. Russell in the Mercedes was rather pleased with the final trophy, secured after passing Leclerc, who defended his position so robustly he picked up a five-second penalty for erratic driving.
The title is now looking like a two-way fight between the two McLaren men. For now, their relationship off-track miraculously appears to be good. No one is sure if that can last…
