Wolff explains Mercedes’ second-fastest pace despite Hamilton’s P4

The 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix presented a fascinating strategic battle and a complex performance puzzle for Mercedes. Despite securing pole position, the team found themselves in a spirited debate post-race: were they truly quick enough to challenge McLaren for second place, or did missed opportunities cost them a coveted podium spot?

Team Principal Toto Wolff maintained an optimistic view, suggesting Mercedes possessed the second-fastest car on the day. However, Lewis Hamilton, who started from pole but finished fourth, was less convinced. He acknowledged the insurmountable lead of Max Verstappen, who dominated the race with over half a minute advantage. “The fight’s not with Max,” Hamilton stated, reflecting on the Red Bull driver’s untouchable pace. He further added, “Mercedes were hoping that we could fight the McLarens, but the second McLaren was too quick for us also.” This sentiment highlighted the stark reality of the race for the British driver.

Wolff’s Optimism and Russell’s Remarkable Comeback

Toto Wolff’s assessment painted a different picture, emphasizing the inherent potential of the Mercedes W14. “I think we had the second quickest car today but the result doesn’t show it,” he asserted, specifically regarding performance around the demanding Hungaroring circuit. He lamented the team’s inability to capitalize on this theoretical advantage, saying, “You can say in theory we had the second-quickest car, we didn’t monetise on it today.”

This discrepancy between potential and actual outcome prompted a deep dive into race analytics. Wolff pointed to George Russell’s extraordinary drive from 18th on the grid to a commendable sixth place as evidence of the car’s underlying speed. “We can see that George came back from a long way down, beating the Aston Martins, beating the Ferraris. So we just need to analyse that,” Wolff noted. Russell’s ability to carve through the field, overtaking established rivals, suggested a stronger race pace than Hamilton’s P4 finish implied. His recovery was a testament to both his skill and the W14’s raw performance, prompting questions about why Hamilton, starting from pole, couldn’t replicate such progress against the leading pack.

2023 Hungarian Grand Prix lap chart

The positions of each driver on every lap. Click name to highlight, right-click to reset. Toggle drivers using controls below:

The Critical Start and Conservative Tyre Strategy

Hamilton’s race took an immediate downturn from the very start. Despite starting from pole position, he was decisively beaten off the line by Max Verstappen, who seized the lead on the run to Turn 1. This initial loss of position set the tone for the rest of his Grand Prix. Beyond the start, Wolff also expressed concerns that Mercedes might have been “too careful” in their management of the Pirelli tyres, a factor that ultimately proved costly.

The Hungarian Grand Prix was unique due to a combination of factors: an unexpected spike in track temperatures on race day and the trial of the new Alternative Tyre Allocation (ATA). The ATA system significantly restricted the number of tyre sets available to teams for pre-race running, leaving them with less data and a greater degree of uncertainty regarding tyre performance under race conditions. This lack of comprehensive data, coupled with soaring track temperatures, magnified the challenge of optimal tyre management. Mercedes, in their cautious approach, realized post-race that they could have extracted more performance from their tyres earlier in each stint, a crucial strategic misstep.

Wolff elaborated on this conservative approach: “I think we were too careful in bringing the [tyres] in,” referring to the initial phase of each tyre stint. He continued, “I think after the stops we lost a lot of time and it paid off towards the end of the stint because we were miles quicker than everybody else. But it’s always a balance and I believe the balance was a little bit too much in terms of bringing them in.” This indicated that while their tyres showed strong performance towards the end of stints, the initial caution had already created too large a deficit to overcome.

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2023 Hungarian Grand Prix lap times

All the lap times by the drivers (in seconds, very slow laps excluded). Scroll to zoom, drag to pan and toggle drivers using the control below:

The McLaren Challenge: Norris’s Aggression vs. Hamilton’s Caution

The top four qualifiers – Hamilton, Verstappen, Norris, and Piastri – all adopted a similar two-stop strategy, starting on the medium compound tyres, switching to hards for the second stint, and concluding the race on mediums. However, the execution of this strategy varied significantly, particularly between Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris, which proved to be a decisive factor in their respective outcomes.

Hamilton was notably more conservative on his hard tyres at the outset of the second stint compared to Norris, who was directly ahead of him. The Mercedes driver completed his first two laps on the hard compound in the 1’25s range, while Norris, in his McLaren, was immediately pushing in the 1’23s. This aggressive initial push by Norris created an immediate and substantial gap, much to Hamilton’s surprise, who communicated over the radio his astonishment that the McLaren had suddenly pulled nine seconds ahead. This early disparity in pace on the hard compound tyres highlighted Mercedes’ cautious approach versus McLaren’s more assertive strategy.

While Norris’s early aggression on the hard tyres allowed him to build a significant lead, it came with a price. His hard tyre stint was six laps shorter than Hamilton’s, indicating higher degradation due to the intense early pace. Towards the end of Norris’s stint, Hamilton, whose tyres were aging more gracefully due to the earlier conservation, began to rapidly close the gap. Mercedes learned their lesson from this initial phase: in Hamilton’s final stint on the medium tyres, he pushed considerably harder from the beginning. While this improved aggression allowed him to narrow the gap further, it was ultimately insufficient to catch Norris, who managed to hold onto second place. The strategic nuances of tyre management were laid bare, demonstrating the fine line between preserving tyre life and maximizing track position.

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2023 Hungarian Grand Prix race chart

The gaps between each driver on every lap compared to the leader’s average lap time. Very large gaps omitted. Scroll to zoom, drag to pan and right-click to reset. Toggle drivers using controls below:

Battling for the Podium: Piastri, Perez, and Missed Opportunities

In the latter stages of the race, the Mercedes driver managed to reclaim a position from the other McLaren, driven by Oscar Piastri, showcasing the car’s improved performance in the final stint. However, despite a strong closing charge, Hamilton fell agonisingly short of catching Sergio Perez for the final podium spot, finishing just one-and-a-half seconds behind the Red Bull driver. This close finish underscored the fine margins that define Formula 1 racing and the impact of earlier strategic choices.

Toto Wolff reiterated his belief that the team would have been in a much stronger position had they adopted a more aggressive approach earlier in the race. He acknowledged the double-edged sword of tyre management, observing how drivers like Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, and even Sergio Perez pushed their tyres harder, gaining initial advantage but potentially suffering higher degradation later. “To strike that balance right is really difficult because you can see if you’re hammering them like Lando did or Oscar did or also Checo did then at the end you’re just falling off massively,” he explained. “So bringing them in when you can is definitely advantageous but probably we have been too conservative how we brought them in and we lost too much time.” This intricate balance between early pace and late-stint tyre preservation was a defining theme of the Hungarian Grand Prix for Mercedes.

Russell’s Strategy and the Race’s Final Verdict

Meanwhile, Sergio Perez and George Russell both started the race on the hard compound tyres, a contrasting strategy to the front-runners. This allowed them to execute significantly longer opening stints – particularly Russell, who ran for an impressive 28 laps on his initial set of hards. This extended first stint meant they could push much harder on the faster medium compound tyres until the very end of the race, enabling their respective charges through the field.

Russell’s exceptional performance saw him recover from 18th to 6th, and he even indicated that his suggestion to Mercedes for a third pit stop was a serious consideration, showcasing his aggressive mindset. However, the third stop proved unnecessary as he had ample pace to comfortably overtake Carlos Sainz Jnr’s Ferrari. Furthermore, he didn’t need to engage in an on-track battle with Charles Leclerc, who had incurred a penalty, allowing Russell to secure his position without further complications.

The remarkable aspect of the Mercedes team’s Sunday was the final proximity of their two drivers. Despite starting with 16 cars separating them on the grid, Hamilton and Russell were ultimately separated only by Oscar Piastri’s McLaren in the final classification. Hamilton finished a mere 5.4 seconds behind Lando Norris in second place. This narrow margin reinforced the “what if” scenario: had the Mercedes team instructed Hamilton to push his tyres harder at the start of his second stint, an earlier pit call, or even a more decisive start from pole, he might well have clinched second place. The Hungarian Grand Prix served as a crucial lesson in strategy and race execution for the Silver Arrows, highlighting the critical impact of every decision on track.

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2023 Hungarian Grand Prix tyre strategies

The tyre strategies for each driver:

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2023 Hungarian Grand Prix fastest laps

Each driver’s fastest lap:

Rank	No.	Driver	Car	Lap time	Gap	Average speed (kph)	Lap no.
1	1	Max Verstappen	Red Bull-Honda RBPT	1’20.504		195.91	53
2	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	1’21.601	1.097	193.28	54
3	63	George Russell	Mercedes	1’22.158	1.654	191.97	48
4	4	Lando Norris	McLaren-Mercedes	1’22.178	1.674	191.92	50
5	11	Sergio Perez	Red Bull-Honda RBPT	1’22.295	1.791	191.65	53
6	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	1’22.469	1.965	191.24	50
7	55	Carlos Sainz Jnr	Ferrari	1’22.584	2.080	190.98	54
8	81	Oscar Piastri	McLaren-Mercedes	1’22.736	2.232	190.63	45
9	14	Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin-Mercedes	1’22.745	2.241	190.6	51
10	22	Yuki Tsunoda	AlphaTauri-Honda RBPT	1’23.269	2.765	189.41	68
11	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin-Mercedes	1’23.425	2.921	189.05	54
12	2	Logan Sargeant	Williams-Mercedes	1’23.496	2.992	188.89	36
13	27	Nico Hulkenberg	Haas-Ferrari	1’23.573	3.069	188.72	42
14	77	Valtteri Bottas	Alfa Romeo-Ferrari	1’23.651	3.147	188.54	42
15	24	Zhou Guanyu	Alfa Romeo-Ferrari	1’23.743	3.239	188.33	12
16	20	Kevin Magnussen	Haas-Ferrari	1’23.864	3.360	188.06	54
17	3	Daniel Ricciardo	AlphaTauri-Honda RBPT	1’23.934	3.430	187.9	67
18	23	Alexander Albon	Williams-Mercedes	1’24.051	3.547	187.64	54
19	31	Esteban Ocon	Alpine-Renault	1’41.181	20.677	155.88	2
20	10	Pierre Gasly	Alpine-Renault	2’04.981	44.477	126.19	1

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2023 Hungarian Grand Prix pit stop times

How long each driver’s pit stops took:

Rank	No.	Driver	Team	Complete stop time (s)	Gap to best (s)	Stop no.	Lap no.
1	11	Sergio Perez	Red Bull	20.88		2	42
2	81	Oscar Piastri	McLaren	21.171	0.291	1	18
3	22	Yuki Tsunoda	AlphaTauri	21.181	0.301	2	44
4	55	Carlos Sainz Jnr	Ferrari	21.402	0.522	1	15
5	1	Max Verstappen	Red Bull	21.407	0.527	1	23
6	4	Lando Norris	McLaren	21.43	0.55	2	44
7	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	21.452	0.572	2	43
8	4	Lando Norris	McLaren	21.541	0.661	1	17
9	63	George Russell	Mercedes	21.675	0.795	2	46
10	1	Max Verstappen	Red Bull	21.68	0.8	2	51
11	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	21.728	0.848	2	49
12	23	Alexander Albon	Williams	21.762	0.882	2	31
13	11	Sergio Perez	Red Bull	21.862	0.982	1	24
14	63	George Russell	Mercedes	21.886	1.006	1	28
15	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	21.91	1.03	1	9
16	27	Nico Hulkenberg	Haas	21.955	1.075	2	38
17	3	Daniel Ricciardo	AlphaTauri	21.958	1.078	1	18
18	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	21.974	1.094	1	16
19	81	Oscar Piastri	McLaren	22.03	1.15	2	42
20	55	Carlos Sainz Jnr	Ferrari	22.051	1.171	2	44
21	23	Alexander Albon	Williams	22.076	1.196	1	8
22	77	Valtteri Bottas	Alfa Romeo	22.114	1.234	1	9
23	20	Kevin Magnussen	Haas	22.152	1.272	2	41
24	2	Logan Sargeant	Williams	22.197	1.317	2	34
25	3	Daniel Ricciardo	AlphaTauri	22.203	1.323	2	29
26	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	22.403	1.523	2	34
27	20	Kevin Magnussen	Haas	22.753	1.873	1	14
28	24	Zhou Guanyu	Alfa Romeo	22.853	1.973	2	38
29	14	Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin	22.916	2.036	1	20
30	27	Nico Hulkenberg	Haas	22.922	2.042	1	16
31	77	Valtteri Bottas	Alfa Romeo	23.242	2.362	2	40
32	2	Logan Sargeant	Williams	24.001	3.121	1	13
33	14	Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin	24.152	3.272	2	43
34	22	Yuki Tsunoda	AlphaTauri	26.17	5.29	1	9
35	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	28.404	7.524	1	17
36	24	Zhou Guanyu	Alfa Romeo	29.211	8.331	1	10

More from the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix

• Was F1’s Alternative Tyre Allocation test successful? Drivers and teams have their say
• How far can McLaren climb with car rivals now say is the second-fastest in F1?
• Why Ricciardo says McLaren’s car “speaks Lando’s language” – but Norris disagrees
• Mercedes reveal cooling error behind loss of pace in Hungarian GP
• Perez answered critics in Hungary but needs to qualify better – Horner

Browse all 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix articles