Mercedes says McLaren’s Hungarian GP form was “more than” its upgrade package

Mercedes sees more behind McLaren’s Budapest breakthrough

Mercedes believes McLaren’s commanding form at the Hungarian Grand Prix cannot be explained solely by the team’s latest upgrade package.

That success also represented the third non-Mercedes win of the year. While Mercedes acknowledged that McLaren’s new components had produced a clear step forward, it argued that Norris’ individual performance was an important part of the result.

Simone Resta, Mercedes’ deputy technical director, said the package “must have contributed” to McLaren’s competitiveness. However, he pointed to the gap between the two McLaren cars as evidence that the upgrade was not the only factor at work.

“At the same time, if you look at the gap between their two cars, there was clearly more to it than the upgrade alone,” Resta told the Nu Silver Arrows Radio Show.

Norris and the variables behind the result

Resta said McLaren had performed strongly throughout the season, although the balance between its two drivers had changed from one race to another. In that context, he viewed Budapest as a weekend when Norris extracted an especially high level of performance from the car.

“We’ve also seen strong performances from Lando several times this season,” Resta said. “Budapest may simply have been one of those weekends where he found himself in a particularly good place with the car, the setup and tyre management.”

He ultimately described the result as a combination of the upgrade and Norris’ execution. McLaren’s development direction will therefore remain under scrutiny, particularly after the team’s recent Portimão testing programme, while Mercedes assesses whether its advantage at the front is beginning to narrow.

Mercedes still confident in its driver line-up

Mercedes’ lead has appeared less secure in recent events, but the team continues to hold a healthy advantage in both championships. Resta credited George Russell and Kimi Antonelli with helping sustain that position.

“We are fortunate to have a very strong driver pairing ourselves. George and Kimi are both incredibly quick,” he said, noting that both had taken pole positions and won races this year.

Resta added that their ability to deliver across different weekends and circumstances had been a major asset. The competition between the two drivers, he said, continually raises the standard and enables Mercedes to achieve stronger results.