Start, Hungaroring, 2021

Rate the race: 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix

2021 Hungarian Grand Prix

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What did you think of today’s race? Share your verdict on the Hungarian Grand Prix.

RaceFans has held polls on every F1 race since 2008 to find out which fans thought of each round of the season.

Join in the latest poll and give your verdict on the race: 10 being the highest and 1 the lowest. Please vote based on how entertaining and exciting you thought the race was, not on how your preferred driver or team performed.

What were the best and worst moments of the race? What was the main thing you’ll remember about it? Rate the race out of ten and leave a comment below:

Rate the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix out of 10

  • 10 (34%)
  • 9 (37%)
  • 8 (16%)
  • 7 (5%)
  • 6 (4%)
  • 5 (1%)
  • 4 (0%)
  • 3 (1%)
  • 2 (1%)
  • 1 (2%)

Total Voters: 286

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1 = ‘Terrible’, 10 = ‘Perfect’

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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87 comments on “Rate the race: 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix”

  1. Awesome race!

    1. Great indeed.

    2. Wow! Terrific … & “Al” has the race-craft, indeed

    3. Just because we had a new winner and lots of carnage?

    4. Now hope they’ll make reverse grid a standard feature :P

    5. Completely agree, awesome race!

      It’s a shame for those who lost out at the beginning, and I’m gutted for them all. However, that and the weird circumstances around tyres and a front track at the restart gave us a race to remember.

      That said, I think what this shows is that we get the best races when the grid is not just the cars lined up in order of fastest to slowest. There was action up and down the field, today. Does anyone think we would have had anything close to that had the order not been shuffled by the first lap carnage and red flag restart mix-up?

      1. *drying track, not front track. We still need an edit button!

  2. Epic. Absolutely epic. I don’t care that it was entirely random, and really disappointingfor the championship. As a race, it was perfect.

    1. Yes. It was a properly good, standalone, narrative.

    2. I’m not sure it was bad for the championship. The Mercedes doesn’t look like it is back to being the best car, which means that Max and Red Bull have to battle back to the top of the championship tables. It should actually make the rest of the year more interesting, IMHO.

  3. Why would you even do this

  4. Zach (@zakspeedf1team)
    1st August 2021, 16:12

    Hungaroboring? I’ll call it Hungaro-want-more-ring!

  5. Pat Ruadh (@fullcoursecaution)
    1st August 2021, 16:12

    Mad one.
    Alonso showing his talent, brilliant defending.

  6. What a race. Best of this season thus far. 10/10

    1. Agree, the first 10 I have ever given.

  7. What on earth are you talking about?

    1. Oh, I see. Just another troll. Go away.

  8. The Max fans are well and truly broken. Post reported.

  9. 10. I’ll be generous considering the normal races at this track. But I am disappointed in Bottas after that.

  10. Absolutely epic. Felt bad to lose Norris on a personal level but so many twists and great racing. Alonso at his finest and bye bye Bottas

    1. Bye bottas? If anything this probably cements his mercedes seat.

  11. If F1 is willing to trial Sprint Qualifying, after this race (and a few others in recent history), they really should trial sprinklers or water-trucks before the formation lap!

    1. haha absolutely!

      fantastic race, agree with others, 10/10

  12. I rarely hand out 10s. That was a 10. One of the most memorable Grand Prix of recent times. Drama, intrigue, excellent wheel to wheel racing, strategy, rain and a new winner. An absolute classic.

  13. I’m an Alonso fan, but just don’t…

  14. Amazing race. First corner carnage, a start grid with one car on it, a fight through the pack, epic Hamilton/Alonso battle and a win for Ocon!

  15. Going, going, gone you go.

  16. Insanest Hungarian GP in six+seven years.

  17. I was an OK race, I gave it a 6/10. No real surprises.

    Just kidding, straight 10/10. Incredible race. Ocon, Vettel and Alonso were standouts. Could have been an Alpine 1-2 if Alonso wasn’t held up in the carnage.

  18. This is exactly why I watch F1.

    1. There was some really good racing by Alonso, Ocon, Vettel, and Hamilton (almost included Schumacher here); but that doesn’t make it a good F1 race!

      I’m flabbergasted that this is was fans define as a good race.
      – If you like this then you must be a fan of reverse grids (I am; but not for a feature race);
      – how can a race be good if 20% of the cars get taken out in turn 1.
      – a starting grid with 1 car – I guess the 2005 US GP was 6x better
      – the overtaking was just as difficult as in other years. It’s just that the 1 remaining fast car had to pit after the 1st flying lap and ended up at the rear.

  19. 9/10, the race was really good and we saw some extremely unexpected results today.

    I won’t give it a perfect score just for the fact that the first lap incident took out a lot of competitors.

    1. @miltosgreekfan Pretty much my thinking too. Fantastic race but could have been even better if the likes of Norris, Leclerc, and Verstappen weren’t out or suffering severe damage.

      1. @keithedin Yeah,these 3 would have given us some great battles but that’s racing sometimes

        1. Absolutely, all 3 very strong at overtaking and defending.

  20. 10. A crash, one car on the restart, new winner, brave overtakes and brilliant defending. Annoyed at more bad luck for verstappen but a brilliant race to watch.

  21. You’re a disgrace.

  22. Lewis such a gent – there’s only a few who compliment people with such a genuine approach.

    Many will likely disagree, but it’s how I see it.

    1. RandomMallard (@)
      1st August 2021, 16:25

      @theswift I’m not sure exactly what this is referring to (I’m assuming this is to do with either parc ferme, the interviews or the podium), but as a Max fan I do completely agree. Most of the time he is a very mature, well-spoken person who seems to really care for other drivers (cue idiots who still think Silverstone was deliberate). He can sometimes be annoying on the radio but he does seem to really be able to conduct himself in a controlled sensible manner.

    2. @theswift It’s an interesting one – he often comes across well out of the car, but a petulant sore loser in it. I suppose a lot of people are very different in the heat of battle.

      1. He wasn’t especially sporting towards Alonso’s driving today lol. Kept crying foul but I guess that’s just the frustration of getting held up by a massively slower car driven by a senior citizen!

      2. Blaize Falconberger (@)
        1st August 2021, 18:45

        Most of the drivers are like that. Vettel was a pig behind the wheel and an angy yob at times (Remember #FUCharlie) but a complete gentleman out of it. Rosberg was a prat of the highest order while driving, but I really enjoy his commentating and his insight on Sky. I even ‘like’ him! I never thought I’d say that… They all moan and complain on the radio, it’s part of the game.

        For sore losers, look no further than RBR management. Tantrums, toys out of prams, snidey comments, childish rants… VERY Ferrari-esque these days. Hamilton is almost always a considerate speaker and gentleman and is easily one of the most approchable competitors in the paddock. I’m assured of his genuine good character and kind nature. The other drivers always speak highly of him, even if the managers don’t. Max in particular.

  23. A genuine team win there! It is just so good having Fernando back on the grid. So good to see Ocon keep his head and get the job done. Utterly bizarre to see Lewis taking the restart alone. Such a shame for McLaren. Norris in particular made such a cracking start.

  24. 8/10
    Did not expect this when the race started. Brilliant. First of all the rain and crash from Bottas. That made the race for some and unmade the race for others. A great day to be in a blue car – Alpine or Williams. Fantastic drive by Ocon. Vettel tried. But wow – Alonso v Hamilton – wow!
    Alonso cost Hamilton the race win, great racing. A racer through and through.
    I though Sainz could have pulled a gap when the race was happening behind. But he could not. Ferrari is just not good on the hard tyre.
    One more weekend to forget for Red Bull.

  25. You deserve this OCON, enjoy it.

  26. Your Mother must be so proud…

  27. We got excitement and unpredictability plus just absolute craziness and scenes we’ve never seen before. How can this not be a 10/10, as a fan of the sport and as a fan of the drama and not any one particular team or driver??

    This is why I watch the sport for these one off dramatic upsets every once in a while. Congrats to Ocon on holding the win, and Alonso for helping him fend off the charging Hamilton who rescued victory from the jaws of defeat. What on Earth his team were thinking is beyond me but they salvaged it. Bad luck to Verstappen, he did nothing wrong, but this race could be as crucial to the championship as Silverstone was.

    What a season!!!

    1. RandomMallard (@)
      1st August 2021, 16:28

      @davidhunter13 What would your reaction be if after the first race at Silverstone in 2020, a year ago this weekend, where Hamilton won with 3 wheels, someone told you that within a year, Gasly would win for AT, Stroll would take a pole position, Perez would win for RP, and Ocon win for Renault/Alpine? We seem to be getting plenty of drama nowadays.

      But what a race. Bad luck for Max of course (albeit it a pretty good drive considering half the car was missing) and a great recovery from Lewis. He is good at this driving thing isn’t he…

  28. Hope Hamilton is ok. He really looked out of sorts on the podium

    1. Blaize Falconberger (@)
      1st August 2021, 18:45

      He did look uncommonly worn out. I agree.

  29. Unbelievable race 10/10. Forgettable race for Redbull, gutted for Max, back to back races being taken out like that.

  30. Thanks Valtteri! DOTW 😏

  31. Boom! One comment was going-going-gone. Magic.

  32. Loved that. Even if he does nothing else, Alonso’s return was worth it just for that Hamilton battle.

  33. Insane race.

    Battles all over.

    10.

  34. Alonso v Hamilton was epic. Reminded me of pre DRS days, brilliant. That was worth the price of entry.

    Reminiscent of Alonso v Schumi at Imola.

    Great Race all round.

  35. Excitement, thrills, numerous approaches, and La Marseillaise. 10.

  36. I gave this race a rock solid 9. Why not 10? Too much damaged cars and the restart with only 1 car on the starting grid. Lewis saved the farcial possibility of a green light given but no cars to start the race.

    1. Ahah, would’ve been fun.

  37. Gave it a nine. It loses a point for that single car restart, but rest of the race was pretty damn good, kept me watching.

    Should pitting under formation laps be banned? I dunno, it made things interesting I guess, but also made for a very bizarre restart. Especially considering the Raikkonen/ Mazepin incident that could have caused big problems if a similar incident had happened further up.

  38. Championship leaders from the back, reverse grid style, random midfield at the front, Alonso Hamilton battle…

    0 DRS highway passes… Talk about awesome race.

    Still would be better if Verstappen was at the back with a functional car.

    1. Agree with that, if he had to take evasive action at the carnage at start and ended in the back that way, could’ve been an interesting battle at the back with hamilton while recovering.

  39. Still can’t believe Hamilton went round the outside of tsunoda in t4, a man often seen flying backwards into the barrier on his own. That was stressful.

  40. Solid 9!
    What made this race that great was, despite the fortuitousness, every driver had to milk their result out.

  41. A big fat 2 for me

    What’s the point of these race tracks where no one can over take???

    1. It’s the cars.

      1. You have a point there @mxmxd

  42. A solid…1. This may seem too far fetched but for a second weekend in a row, a Mercedes driver was responsible for depriving us of having a good battle between the championship contenders, in mixed conditions this time also, which would have been amazing.

    Plus, that race restart with only HAM there seemed too much staged. It seemed to me that it was a “compensation” for what BOT did. There is no way that all teams would rush in and Mercedes would choose to stay out under different circumstances. This race was a pure joke and I strongly feel that there was an “agreement” behind curtains.

    Kudos to OCO, perhaps VET and especially ALO, whose ballsy defense helped OCO for the win. Glad to see both Williams drivers in the points. The irony is that this 4-2 in favor of LAT will remain until the end.

    1. This rate the race @f1-fan , not rate Mercedes

      1. @the-edge The actions of Mercedes affected the race outcome. Is this so hard for you to comprehend? Yoy don’t have to agree with what I say, just keep these in mind.

        1. I see what you’re saying as I also detest mercedes behaviour, but this race was otherwise very interesting, a shame verstappen’s car was that damaged, could’ve been an interesting recovery for both.

          1. @esploratore1 Interesting of course it was. But as I said, I think that it was staged after the red flag. To equal an unfair thing that happened at the start.

    2. And the conspiracy theorists are out again. It’s ludicrous to consider that either of these incidents were deliberate, and especially Bottas’ yesterday!

      These are 2 small mistakes which had large consequences. They happen to have both worked in Mercedes’ and Hamilton’s favour, but that’s the way chances fall sometimes. Either could easily have gone the other way.

  43. I gave it a nine. That was an incredible race; the best of a great bunch this season. Is 2021 the greatest season of all time?

  44. Dutchguy (@justarandomdutchguy)
    1st August 2021, 18:59

    A bit strange but enjoyable enough. Alonso made this race

  45. 1 (1%)
    2 (1%)
    3 (1%)
    4 (0%)
    5 (1%)
    6 (5%)
    7 (5%)
    8 (16%)
    9 (37%)
    10 (34%)
    Total Voters: 166

    Race itself was interesting, I went for 9, maybe could’ve done with more rain for a 10, however it was eventful, very interesting battles with hamilton recovering, too bad verstappen not only ended up far back but had damage, could’ve been interesting to see both championship contenders recover, this gives some points to a reverse grid race!

    Especially interesting was the alonso defense, and very unusual leaders as well.

  46. Lol I think I saw a different race. Gave it a 6. Behind Sainz not much happend. To many cars crashed out or took damage.
    Great to see Ocon win and Vettel second.
    Weird decision from Mercedes with that restart. But Lewis recovered it with a solid drive. Alonso dotd. Really helped the top 2 with that battle.

  47. If a race gets my heart racing like that because of not being able to work out who’s going to win then it has to get a big score. Loved the racing between Alonso and Hamilton, I was almost having to cover my eyes at times it was so tense. That was a 10 for me, outstanding!

  48. Michael (@freelittlebirds)
    1st August 2021, 19:50

    Unbelievable race!

    In the ratings, Alonso and Hamilton should get 20s or 30s each! This deserved to be Lewis’ 100th victory for sure…

    Defense of the century by Alonso and overtake of the century by Lewis!

  49. Ok race for me. 6. Drama and a new winner is not the solution for better racing. Losing a chunk of the field impacted the race for me.

  50. One of the best races I’ve seen in a long time. Watching Alonso and Hamilton battling like it was 2007 was the icing on the cake.

  51. If ya can’t give that a 10 then what can ya? Stories everywhere!

  52. Also, what happened to the Rate the Race score summaries that would get published ~ a week after each race?? We’re all voting and never finding out what the average is @keithcollantine

  53. 9/10.

    Really toyed with the idea of giving this a 10. Wish I could have given it 9.5. It had a bit of everything. Rain at the start, excellent wheel to wheel racing, strategy, and a new winner. A classic race.

    My only real reason for not giving it 10 was that too many of the usual front runners were knocked out at the start e.g. Leclerc, Norris, Perez, and of course Verstappen had a badly damaged car. It would have been improved if one of more of these also had to fight their way back to the front through the traffic.

    Also a special mention to Alonso. What a driver! He made life very difficult for Lewis and is probably one of only 2 drivers who could have done this in the situation he found himself in.

  54. ILuvSoundtracks (@)
    2nd August 2021, 10:34

    10.

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