Formula 1 returns to the Hungaroring this weekend for the Hungarian Grand Prix and round 11 of the 2026 season.Kimi Antonelli claimed his sixth win of the season last time out at Spa-Francorchamps, winning from pole position to extend his lead in the F1 world championship to 45 points after Mercedes teammate George Russell crashed out on the opening lap. Lewis Hamilton is now Antonelli’s closest contender but could only finish fourth on a disappointing weekend for the Briton in Belgium, but he has won seven times in Hungary. His Ferrari teammate, Charles Leclerc, finished second with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in third. Reigning world champion Lando Norris won last year’s race in Budapest ahead of McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri. It is the final race before the customary summer break. Follow live updates from the Hungarian GP with The Independent Out in Q117. Ollie Bearman (Haas)18. Carlos Sainz (Williams) 19. Alex Albon (Williams) 20. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) 21. Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac) 22. Sergio Perez (Cadillac)Kieran Jackson25 July 2026 15:25Alonso qualifies for Q2For the first time this season, Aston Martin are into Q2! Alonso makes it!Fernando Alonso makes it, just, by one-tenth over Ollie Bearman, out in 17th. Both Williams drivers are out this time! Bottom-six (17-22) and out in Q1: Bearman, Sainz, Albon, Stroll, Bottas, Perez(Getty)Kieran Jackson25 July 2026 15:21Norris quickest early onNorris sets the early benchmark, three-tenths ahead of Verstappen.But the biggest news is Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll are both in the top-16 right now. Huge, 6 minutes to go in Q1. Kieran Jackson25 July 2026 15:13Q1 underwayHere we go then with the opening qualifying session! 18 minutes where we’ll lose the slowest six drivers from the rest of qualifying...The Williams pair of Sainz and Albon are the first cars out on track...Kieran Jackson25 July 2026 15:03Qualifying at the Hungarian GPWe’re five minutes from what feels like a very open qualifying session in Budapest! Kimi Antonelli is the favourite but he’s not had it all his own way so far this weekend. Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris are right in the fight too! And given overtaking is difficult around the Hungaroring, it’s an important session too!(Getty)Kieran Jackson25 July 2026 14:57Kieran Jackson25 July 2026 14:52PREVIEW: Aston Martin in last-chance saloon to keep Fernando Alonso in Formula 1 They say seeing is believing. And seeing the leaderboard in qualifying last weekend at Spa-Francorchamps, specifically the initial phase, really did take some believing.For a team whose underlying goal was to be a Formula One world championship contender in 2026, Aston Martin’s opening 10 races have been nothing short of a calamity. From “nerve damage” safety concerns at the season opener in Australia to countless power unit failures, Aston’s new partnership with Honda has been woeful. What’s more, they previously used Mercedes engines, by far and away the most powerful on the grid in the sport’s new electrical energy-focused era.And in Q1 at the last race in Belgium, Aston drivers Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll were both more than two seconds slower than the next-slowest car, new team Cadillac, and more than four seconds off the frontrunners. But this weekend, they have a big upgrade: Kieran Jackson25 July 2026 14:49Antonelli has a 45-point lead We know for sure that Antonelli will head into the summer break in front; but will he have an even bigger lead? Here’s the top-10: 1. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) - 204 points 2. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) - 159 points 3. George Russell (Mercedes) - 154 points 4. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) - 126 points 5. Lando Norris (McLaren) - 103 points 6. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) - 92 points7. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) - 91 points 8. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) - 60 points 9. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) - 42 points10. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) - 39 points Kieran Jackson25 July 2026 14:44Martin Brundle on Aston Martin's upgrades:“The car looks better. Often, you’ve got speed not reliability or the other way around - but they’ve had neither. They have all the ingredients but if the upgrade isn’t stonking, something isn’t working.“I think it will be 2027 before Honda and Aston Martin are back.” (Reuters)Kieran Jackson25 July 2026 14:30George Russell reaches breaking point but familiar foe shows path forward for Mercedes starNine races in; 25 points behind. Not ideal, but eminently salvageable for George Russell, who has endured an arduous start to a campaign which had his name written all over a debut F1 world championship. Now, 10 races down, that deficit has doubled in one spin into the gravel to 50 points. Needless to say, this was not how the Briton envisaged the start of his 2026 season.Whether it be ill-timed safety cars, a lack of confidence or now mechanical issues, Russell has encountered his fair share of problems as the campaign nears its halfway point. In Belgium, an engine starved of straight-line speed – in stark contrast to his teammate Kimi Antonelli – was the latest in an ever-growing list of mishaps.And it stretched him to breaking point.Piece after the Belgian GP below: Kieran Jackson25 July 2026 14:15