Updated

Updated · ESPN · Jul 24

Leclerc Tops Hungarian GP FP1 by 0.484s as Aston Martin Upgrade Suffers Suspension Failure

Updated

Updated · ESPN · Jul 24

Leclerc Tops Hungarian GP FP1 by 0.484s as Aston Martin Upgrade Suffers Suspension Failure

Q: How did a disconnected radio cable miraculously save Carlos Sainz from a severe penalty after his erratic driving incident with Max Verstappen?

The disconnected radio cable was the key mitigating factor that spared Carlos Sainz from a harsher punishment. Stewards accepted that his engineer had warned him more than once that Max Verstappen was approaching on a push lap, but Sainz never heard those messages because his radio cable had come loose. That explanation mattered because the incident itself looked serious: Sainz was on the racing line approaching Turn 12, braked early while warming his brakes, and forced Verstappen to move right to avoid him. Under normal circumstances, ignoring repeated team warnings in that situation could have led to a stronger penalty for impeding or erratic driving. Instead, the FIA treated the radio failure as evidence that Sainz’s actions were not deliberate. The stewards still held him partly responsible, saying that without radio communication he should not have been preparing his brakes on the racing line. But they also noted two important mitigating points: the incident happened in free practice rather than a competitive session, and Verstappen himself said he was surprised but did not regard it as dangerous. That combination reduced the outcome to an official warning rather than a grid drop or sporting penalty. In short, the disconnected cable did not clear Sainz completely, but it provided the explanation that turned a potentially severe sanction into the lightest formal punishment available.

3 articles · Updated · ESPN · Jul 24

Charles Leclerc set the pace at 1:19.075 in first practice at the Hungaroring, and that lap stood despite his Ferrari slowing with a suspected power-unit or gearbox issue late in the session.
Lance Stroll triggered a red flag after 36 minutes when the rear suspension on Aston Martin's heavily upgraded AMR26 B-spec appeared to buckle exiting Turn 2, sending him into a 360-degree spin.
Max Verstappen finished second, 0.484s back, ahead of Lewis Hamilton, while Verstappen complained his Red Bull felt like it was running with the handbrake on.
Hungary-specific update packages featured across the field, with McLaren debuting a major floor revision and Aston Martin rolling out a lighter chassis, new aero surfaces and a new rear suspension layout.
Fernando Alonso put the new Aston Martin 13th, 2.475s off the pace, while Carlos Sainz was summoned to the stewards after the session for allegedly impeding Verstappen and driving erratically.

Sources

ESPN4h ago

Lance Stroll's Aston Martin F1 Suffers Suspected Rear Suspension Failure at Hungarian GP Practice

Speedcafe1m ago

F1 news: Charles Leclerc tops Hungarian FP1 despite late issue - Speedcafe.com

Crash8h ago

Charles Leclerc fastest in first Hungary F1 practice new Aston Martin car breaks down | Crash.net

10 Sources

Will Charles Leclerc's late power unit failure erase Ferrari's dominant practice pace and force a costly grid penalty this weekend?

Did Aston Martin's massive B-spec upgrade backfire completely, or was Stroll's catastrophic suspension collapse just an isolated manufacturing defect?

How did a disconnected radio cable miraculously save Carlos Sainz from a severe penalty after his erratic driving incident with Max Verstappen?