Piastri takes the lead in the McLaren rivalry as attention shifts to 2026.

      "He is the tougher of the two McLaren drivers."

      The 2025 championship battle between Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris continues in Hungary this weekend, with the rest of the grid increasingly focusing on the new Formula 1 regulations set to be implemented in 2026. McLaren's Piastri heads into the final race before the summer break with significant momentum following his decisive victory at Spa, a performance that clearly positions him as the top title contender.

      "Piastri once again proved that he is the tougher of the two McLaren drivers," stated former Red Bull racer Christian Klien on Servus TV. "This also gave him the advantage during the pit stop, allowing him to switch to dry tires more swiftly. After that, it was pretty much finished."

      Piastri clinched his first Formula 1 victory at the Hungaroring last year and returns to the challenging Budapest circuit with eight wins to his record. However, Klien cautions that Norris will not be far behind. "Norris is also quite confident on this track and consistently performs well in Hungary. The two are generally at a similar level; they won’t hold back against each other."

      Fernando Alonso, for his part, observes that nearly everyone else is already considering the future. "I believe 80 percent of the attention is already on 2026. And it's not just the engineers," commented the Aston Martin driver. "I think most drivers in the field are starting to think about 2026, except for the McLaren drivers."

      Former Minardi driver Christijan Albers concurs, suggesting that Red Bull should cease development of its 2025 car entirely. "I would almost entirely concentrate on next year," he shared on De Telegraaf’s F1 podcast. "Even if they do nothing now, Max will still easily secure third place."

      With Verstappen 28 points ahead of fourth-placed Russell, Albers sees no danger in reallocating resources. "That’s really not a bad performance for the car as it currently stands. But I would just channel all my effort into 2026."

      Albers also expressed admiration for Verstappen's exceptional handling of the current RB21. "Have you ever noticed how that car steers? It's so sharp. It makes it simple for Max," he said. "He has to completely manage it with the throttle. I doubt anyone else can drive it like that. It's genuinely one-of-a-kind."