IN two races the Formula One World Championship has completely changed. When they left Austria Red Bull Racing had a good lead in both the Drivers and Constructors championships. Now they lead neither of them. 

In my experience the World Championship can change in one weekend, so while there is a long way to go in the championship it feels like Hungary changed the 2021 season.  The pressure is now on Red Bull Racing to respond, and with the next two Grands Prix on circuits Mercedes should be strong – Spa and Monza – it will not be easy.

I really expected Red Bull to dominate this weekend considering the strengths of their car and its suitability for tight circuits.  However, Mercedes has reacted brilliantly in recent weeks, bringing upgrades and really fighting back. 

When Lewis and Valtteri Bottas locked out the front row in qualifying it was a clear sign that Mercedes had made a step forward.  The margins are small but in such a close battle every improvement really counts.

The first corner accident had a big impact on the race and the World Championship. Valtteri has accepted it was his mistake, an easy one to make in wet conditions, but it was a real pity to see Lando Norris taken out after making such a great start from P6 in his McLaren.

It was the damage caused to Red Bull’s cars that really changed the race and the championship.  With Sergio Perez out of the race and Max’s car suffering a lot of damage it’s actually a miracle that he finished the race and scored a point. This was a very difficult day for the team.

Like everyone  else I have never seen one car line up on the grid before, so it was really extraordinary to see Lewis Hamilton on his own after the red-flag restart.  The team should really have pitted him so that he could switch tyres like everyone else, and when he fell down to last place it seemed impossible that he could still score a podium finish. 

But Lewis loves a challenge, particularly a recovery drive.

I really believe he would have won the race had Fernando Alonso not managed to keep him behind. When you consider that Lewis finished the race 4.5 seconds behind Esteban Ocon, and was lapping so much faster, Alpine really can thank Fernando for using all his experience to keep the Mercedes behind.  That was a really fascinating duel to watch.

In one race Fernando has repaid Alpine for the faith they have shown in him.  

This battle was everything.

Old rivals @alo_oficial and @LewisHamilton put on an incredible show on Sunday ⚔️#HungarianGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/LGqPXTU1VR

— Formula 1 (@F1) August 1, 2021

I think it is brilliant that Alpine have won a Grand Prix.  The last time a French car and engine won race was with Alain Prost at Renault in 1983, so this is a very special moment for Alpine – in its first season for the brand in F1 – and for the Renault Group.  It will really give the team an enormous boost, and is a perfect result for Ocon after recently signing a new three year contract.

It was also a fantastic result for Aston Martin and Sebastian Vettel, so long as they keep the 2nd placed finish.  Every team has to be able to supply the FIA with a 1 litre sample of fuel after a race,  so they now have some nervous days ahead while the fuel system is checked. 

A race win in Silverstone and podium finish for Lewis Hamilton in Hungary have put him back in charge of the World Championship, while Max Verstappen crash at the British Grand Prix has now been followed by a very difficult race and just one more championship point.  

It is too difficult to predict which team and driver combination will win the World Championship.  In two weeks the balance has shifted and I think we are going to see plenty more changing fortunes in the second half of the season.