Formula 1: The Hungary achievement that flew under the radar
By Asher Fair
One team’s achievement in this past Sunday’s Formula 1 race at the Hungaroring flew under the radar, but it is well worth recognizing.
In turn one on the opening lap of this past Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix at the Hungaroring, the Mercedes of Valtteri Bottas made contact with the McLaren of Lando Norris, which then hit the Red Bull of Max Verstappen. The Red Bull of Sergio Perez was also collected in the mess, and among this group, only Verstappen was able to continue competing in the 2021 Formula 1 season’s 11th race.
In a separate incident at the same corner, the McLaren of Daniel Ricciardo spun after it was hit by the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc, which had just been hit by the Aston Martin of Lance Stroll. Ricciardo was able to continue, but he failed to score any points with an 11th place finish.
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Entering the race, McLaren were one of only two teams to score points in every race. Norris himself had been a perfect 10 for 10 in terms of scoring points this season, having not finished outside of the top eight through the first 10 races. Ricciardo scored points in eight of those 10 events.
With both Norris and Ricciardo failing to score in the Hungarian Grand Prix, now only one team have scored in every race so far this year.
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Believe it or not, that team is AlphaTauri, which sit in sixth place out of 10 teams in the constructor standings.
Rookie Yuki Tsunoda has only scored in five of the 11 races that have been contested so far this season, but three of those five races are the only three races in which teammate Pierre Gasly has failed to score. On only two occasions, this past Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix and June’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix at Baku City Circuit, have both Tsunoda and Gasly scored in the same race. This past Sunday, Gasly finished in fifth place ahead of Tsunoda in a career-high sixth. In the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Gasly finished in third ahead of Tsunoda in what was then a career-high seventh.
Yet here they are, the last team standing without a single scoreless race thus far.
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Will the Faenza-based team continue this streak in the Belgian Grand Prix at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps on Sunday, August 29? In last year’s Belgian Grand Prix, Gasly scored four points with an eighth place finish while teammate Daniil Kvyat did not with an 11th place effort. This race is set to be broadcast live on ESPN beginning at 9:00 a.m. ET.