F1 Monday Notebook: Lewis Hamilton Extends Podium Record

Lewis Hamilton reached another unprecedented Formula 1 milestone at the F1 Hungarian Grand Prix as he achieved the 200th podium of his career.

Hamilton held third place after using the undercut pit strategy to overhaul Max Verstappen, and escaped damage when the two collided while contesting the position.

The podium was Hamilton’s third of the campaign at a circuit where he has regularly thrived—he's had eight victories there—and the trophy brought up the 200th podium appearance. They have been achieved through 104 victories, 56 runner-up positions, and 40 times standing in third spot.

Michael Schumacher is a distant second on the all-time list with 155 podiums, while Sebastian Vettel is third 122.

Fourth overall and second among active F1 drivers is Max Verstappen with 107.

Magnussen Open to New Position with Haas

Kevin Magnussen will be relinquishing his Haas race seat at the end of 2024, but team principal Ayao Komatsu has left the door open to Magnussen remaining affiliated with the squad.

It's an indication of the strong bond between driver and team in spite of the decision to part ways. Magnussen is still prioritizing a seat elsewhere in Formula 1—though options are dwindling—but is keen to see the lay of the land. Magnussen previously raced in IMSA, at Le Mans and in IndyCar during his hiatus from Formula 1 in 2021.

Magnussen reciprocated the notion of remaining connected with Haas.

“If I'm racing elsewhere in Formula 1 in another team, it doesn't work,” Magnussen said of a Haas role. “If I won't be racing in Formula 1 next year, then absolutely I'll definitely look at that and get some kind of role advisory or however they see fit. I've been with this team for many years now and know the operation very well.

"I have a lot of experience in Formula 1, so it would be good to keep making use of that instead of just leaving the sport altogether.”

Magnussen nonetheless ruled out the notion of holding a reserve driver role.

“I'd want to focus on other things that would be exciting and fulfilling for me,” he said. “I think being a reserve driver waiting around for someone to break his leg, I don't think that's very exciting.”

Silly Season Rumbles On

Formula 1’s Silly Season is rumbling on, with Ferrari's Carlos Sainz still yet to make a decision on his future.

Sainz insisted in Hungary that he is in no rush, pointing to the early calls elsewhere accelerating a market that is usually still wide open in the summer months. He has offers from Alpine, Sauber, and Williams, but is still holding out hope that Mercedes may waver on youngster Kimi Antonelli—its favored candidate—or that Red Bull may need him in the unlikely event that Max Verstappen leaves for Mercedes.

The remainder of the grid are essentially awaiting Sainz’s decision, as well as what happens with Red Bull Racing, owing to the uncertainty surrounding Sergio Perez’s position given his dismal form.

Antonelli captured his second Formula 2 win of the year in Hungary—and first in the main Feature Race—after rising from seventh on the grid. Antonelli’s strategy was aided by a well-timed safety car and he used the advantage of fresh soft tires to swiftly climb from fifth to first. The result catapults the Italian to sixth in the championship.

McLaren’s Hospitality Has Another Bad Weekend

McLaren is not having much luck with its hospitality unit in 2024.

The Team Hub was taken out of action in Spain due to an electrical fire in the kitchen but was repaired (minus the kitchen area) in time for Britain – after a stellar job by the crew – ensuring it missed only one event in Austria, where a temporary facility was hired.

But in Hungary a small but violent storm—which didn’t even affect nearby downtown Budapest—rattled through the Hungaroring on Wednesday afternoon during the construction stage of the motorhomes in the paddock.

The storm partially flooded pit lane, and the roof sustained damage. McLaren’s Team Hub remained standing through the weekend, minus its roof, and while the team were still able to utilize the downstairs area of the two-story unit, which includes the driver rooms, media and guests were prohibited from the structure through the course of the weekend.

The setback clearly had no impact on McLaren’s performance, with a front row lockout on Saturday followed by a 1-2 finish in Sunday’s race.

Special Delivery for Ocon

Alpine's Esteban Ocon had a very special delivery ahead of the event which he won in 2021 —his race-winning car from that race.

Ocon triumphed at the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix for Alpine, a race famous for separate Turn 1 collisions that wiped out the majority of the front-runners. It remains the only victory taken by both driver and this iteration of the team. The A521, in which Ocon claimed victory was delivered to his father’s garage in France, complete with its engine and gearbox.

“That’s something that has been written in the contract,” Ocon said. “It’s amazing to finally receive it but it’s now a past generation car, it’s like a historic car now, which is crazy. But yeah, the emotions we went through, with my parents and all the people I love there, and to see it coming in the garage, it was special. We plan to move it somewhere else where it will be on display and other people will be able to see it as well. But we plan to have it a little bit at the family garage for all of us to be able to see it.”

Ocon joked that his father “cleaned the garage for three days” to prepare for the car’s arrival to the extent that “you could eat off the floor.”

Senna Drama to Reach Netflix in November

The six-part drama series about the life of Ayrton Senna will premier on Netflix on November 29. The fictional series, starring Gabriel Leone as Senna, will chart the Brazilian’s life, from his early days in junior categories through to his untimely death at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix.

The series has been in production since 2020 and has been undertaken with the active participation of Senna’s family.