How Ollie Bearman and Liam Lawson Performed at the 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix

The Hungarian Grand Prix has always been one of the toughest races on the calendar, and the 2025 race was important for Ollie Bearman and Liam Lawson.



With its tight, twisting layout and few overtaking opportunities, drivers are forced to rely heavily on qualifying, strategy, and consistency to succeed.



This year’s edition was no exception, producing an intriguing mix of front-runner dominance and midfield drama.



At the sharp end, Lando Norris claimed victory with Oscar Piastri close behind, while George Russell rounded out the podium.



But much of the buzz surrounded the performances of two younger names carving out reputations of their own — Liam Lawson for Racing Bulls and Ollie Bearman for Haas.



Both drivers approached the weekend with something to prove and left with enhanced credibility, albeit in different ways.



Liam Lawson: A Statement Drive



Liam Lawson arrived in Budapest riding a wave of momentum, having quietly improved over the last several races.



His Saturday set the tone, with a composed qualifying effort that saw him line up ninth on the grid.



That placed him ahead of his team-mate Isack Hadjar and even just behind Max Verstappen, who endured a rare off-day in qualifying.



On Sunday, Lawson delivered one of his strongest performances of the season.



From the lights, he maintained composure under pressure, navigating the chaotic opening laps without incident.



His Racing Bulls car lacked the raw pace to threaten the top five, but Lawson maximized every ounce of performance available.



The real highlight came in his ability to hold off Verstappen during a long middle stint, a duel that surprised many watching trackside.



For several laps, the reigning World Champion loomed large in Lawson’s mirrors, but the young New Zealander didn’t crack.



He defended cleanly, managed his tyres with maturity, and eventually emerged ahead once strategies shook out.



Lawson ultimately crossed the line in eighth place, banking valuable points for himself and the team.



What stood out was not just the result but the manner in which he achieved it — calm under pressure, disciplined with tyre management, and clinical in wheel-to-wheel combat.



It marked the first time Lawson had beaten Verstappen in a race where both finished, a milestone that will resonate throughout the paddock.



For a sophomore still cementing his place in Formula 1, that matters enormously.



More broadly, Hungary confirmed that Lawson is developing into a consistent points scorer.



It was his third top-ten finish in four races, suggesting the upward curve is no accident.



His ability to adapt to evolving strategies and extract performance from a car not designed to fight at the front bodes well for his long-term prospects.



Ollie Bearman: Promise Tempered by Frustration



If Lawson’s Hungarian weekend was about steady progression, Ollie Bearman’s was a study in flashes of promise overshadowed by frustration.



The young Briton, still acclimatising to the demands of his rookie season, entered the weekend determined to rebound from a difficult stretch of results.



Qualifying showed glimmers of progress.



Bearman managed to drag his Haas into the midfield mix, placing himself in contention to fight for points if circumstances played in his favor.



That was no small achievement given Haas’s struggles for outright pace this season.



But the race itself proved more complicated.



Bearman made a strong start, gaining a position on the opening lap and showing impressive confidence in the wheel-to-wheel battles that define the Hungaroring’s narrow layout.



For much of the first stint, he held his own against more experienced rivals.



However, as tyre wear became a decisive factor, Haas’s strategy began to unravel.



A slow stop cost him valuable track position, and from there his afternoon grew more difficult.



Despite flashes of speed, Bearman found himself stuck in traffic and unable to make the kind of overtakes needed to climb back into the points.



In the end, he finished just outside the top ten, a result that did not reflect the effort or potential he displayed across the weekend.



There were positives to take away, though.



Bearman showed growing maturity in managing his tyres and situational awareness in traffic.



His aggressive yet controlled driving style suggested that once Haas provides him with a more competitive package, he has the instincts to capitalize.



Two Young Drivers on Diverging Paths



Lawson and Bearman’s Hungarian outings highlighted the contrasting stages of their development.



Lawson, now more established, is proving himself as a reliable and quietly effective racer, capable of not only scoring points but also seizing moments to make a statement against bigger names.



His eighth place was more than just a handful of points; it was evidence of a driver gaining confidence and legitimacy within the paddock.



Bearman, meanwhile, is still in the foundational phase of his career.



His Hungarian race underscored both the promise and the challenges of being a rookie in Formula 1.



There is no doubting his raw talent, but consistency and team execution remain hurdles to clear.



Still, his performance in Budapest hinted at a driver learning quickly, one capable of turning near-misses into regular points in the near future.



Looking Ahead



As the championship heads into the summer break, both Lawson and Bearman can reflect on the Hungarian GP as a meaningful checkpoint.



For Lawson, it was a weekend that solidified his reputation as a driver capable of outperforming expectations and standing tall even against champions.



For Bearman, it was a reminder that progress is rarely linear, but the building blocks are clearly in place.



At a circuit that rewards discipline, intelligence, and mental toughness, both young drivers showed that they belong in the world’s toughest racing series.



The next test will be whether they can carry these lessons forward into the high-speed challenges that await in the second half of the season.
The post How Ollie Bearman and Liam Lawson Performed at the 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix appeared first on Formula1News.co.uk .