Mark Hughes

Formula 1

Unpicking Hamilton and Horner's conflicting claims on Red Bull talks

Lewis Hamilton and Christian Horner appear to have very different recollections of Hamilton's talks with Red Bull regarding a bombshell switch. So where does the truth lie?

Formula 1

Mark Hughes: Verstappen's Russell clash cost Leclerc victory

Colliding with George Russell actually turned out to be a lucky break for Max Verstappen in a Las Vegas Grand Prix he was on course to lose to Charles Leclerc

Formula 1

Mark Hughes: How Red Bull sacrifice swelled Leclerc's Vegas margin

Ferrari has looked like the fastest car over a lap all Las Vegas GP weekend and just how obvious that was actually had the effect of increasing its advantage over Red Bull as Mark Hughes explains

Formula 1

Mark Hughes: Who stood out in F1's overshadowed debut Vegas laps

The competitive picture took an inevitable back seat to organisational matters on a bound-to-be-infamous first day of running at the Las Vegas Grand Prix - but who actually looked fast?

Formula 1

Mark Hughes: How Alonso achieved what should've been impossible

Max Verstappen was made to work for his Brazilian GP victory by Lando Norris. But neither were centre stage in the closing laps - the focus instead shifted to Fernando Alonso's surely futile attempts to keep Sergio Perez behind. Mark Hughes explains how a seemingly doomed podium finish was saved

Formula 1

Mark Hughes: The signs of how McLaren's gaining on Red Bull

Lando Norris couldn't turn his and McLaren's Brazilian Grand Prix qualifying pace into a sprint win. But you can see why Max Verstappen and Red Bull were anxious about the Norris threat mid-race

Formula 1

Mark Hughes: Who thrived and faltered in 2023's sketchiest Q3

The black sky cloud burst which brought out the Interlagos red flags just after the top 10 had completed their first Q3 runs sure looked dramatic. But it was the severe wind which preceded the rain which was more influential in shaping the grid as Mark Hughes explains:

Formula 1

Mark Hughes: The very different Mexican GP we could've had

What if Sergio Perez had completed his fifth-to-first move at the start? What if the red flag hadn't reset the Ferrari/Red Bull strategy battle? What if Lando Norris hadn't started at the back?

Formula 1

Mark Hughes: Mexico's seemingly random F1 grid explained

Ferrari's front row lockout. Daniel Ricciardo qualifying his AlphaTauri fourth. Practice high-flier Alex Albon suddenly ending up well short. Mexican Grand Prix qualifying was full of shocks. Mark Hughes explains them

Formula 1

Mark Hughes: McLaren has a shot at Red Bull in the Mexican GP

There are signs that Red Bull’s advantage is less comfortable than usual at the Mexican Grand Prix – and that the main threat is McLaren

Formula 1

F1 drivers suspect more illegalities among unchecked cars

Several Formula 1 drivers including the disqualified Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc believe it likely that more cars were in an illegal condition in the United States Grand Prix

Formula 1

Mark Hughes: Red Bull's ride-height wariness cost it US GP pace

Red Bull was always less likely to get caught out by the plank wear issue that led to Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc's United States Grand Prix disqualifications because the way its car generates pace makes it super-aware of this DSQ risk. And that's also why it was slower than usual at Austin

Formula 1

Mark Hughes: Sprint revealed dark horse who could deny Verstappen

The straightforward nature of Max Verstappen's Austin sprint win suggests he'll have little trouble coming through from sixth in the grand prix. But that wasn't the only thing the sprint revealed

Formula 1

Mark Hughes: Why Red Bull isn't actually fastest at Austin

It might look like only a track limits breach denied Max Verstappen pole for the United States Grand Prix. But actually Red Bull isn't in great shape at Austin, and Ferrari's pole is legitimate

Formula 1

Mercedes floor and major Haas package headline US GP upgrades

We may be into the final five races of the 2023 F1 season, but there are a number of upgrades on show still at the United States GP. Mark Hughes runs through them all

Formula 1

Perez dismisses F1 retirement 'easy route' - so what's his plan?

Sergio Perez says he "doesn't even think about retirement" and is only focused about getting "back to my best level". But as his F1 slump continues, there's an ever-looming question he may soon have to answer

Formula 1

Mark Hughes: Qatar GP became a reminder of F1 pre-Pirelli

Max Verstappen and Red Bull winning the Qatar Grand Prix wasn't unexpected but how it won was very different from many of their 2023 successes so far. Mark Hughes explains how they still triumphed and the key choices made by those behind

Formula 1

Mark Hughes: Piastri's rapid F1 evolution and a Norris contrast

Oscar Piastri's sprint race win added another milestone to his highly impressive rookie Formula 1 season with McLaren. Mark Hughes explains some of the fundamentals behind Piastri's rapid evolution and how Norris is responding

Formula 1

Mark Hughes: The lost laps that skewed F1's Qatar pecking order

Formula 1 qualifying in Qatar was dominated by track limits deletions. Mark Hughes explains how the deletions changed the shape of the pecking order in Qatar:

Formula 1

Mark Hughes: The four duels that stole the show at Suzuka

There was a pretty clear car performance hierarchy in the Japanese GP - which meant it was up to team-mate pairings to bring the drama

Formula 1

Mark Hughes: Piastri’s brilliance is still surprising McLaren

Oscar Piastri has been excelling at his first visit to Suzuka and even surprised a McLaren team that's already raised its expectations of its star rookie. Mark Hughes is thoroughly impressed too as he explains Piastri's brilliance

Formula 1

Mark Hughes: Where Red Bull's restored Suzuka gap is coming from

After a Singapore stumble, Red Bull looks back to its best at Suzuka. Here's where the RB19 is doing the damage

Formula 1

Big Ferrari change headlines Suzuka F1 upgrades

Ferrari follows up its Singapore Grand Prix victory by bringing a significant upgrade to its 2023 Formula 1 car for Japan

Formula 1

Mark Hughes: How Red Bull could still have won in Singapore

Red Bull will not make it through the 2023 Formula 1 season unbeaten after all thanks to its Singapore Grand Prix defeat. But as Mark Hughes explains, it was stronger in race trim and the way Carlos Sainz had to drive to make Ferrari’s win possible nearly gave Red Bull a surprise chance

Formula 1

Making sense of Red Bull's sole 2023 blip

Formula 1 2023’s dominant car couldn’t make it into Q3 in Singapore – but what exactly explains such a sudden performance drop-off in the RB19? Mark Hughes gives his verdict

Formula 1

Mark Hughes: Where Red Bull truly stands after worst day of 2023

The Singapore GP doesn’t look like being a race of sure-fire Red Bull domination. Mark Hughes says it’d be a surprise if the car that comes out on Saturday is as ill-balanced as Friday’s one, but getting the RB19 into its sweet spot could be the difference between its race-winning run extending or e

Formula 1

Major McLaren package and Red Bull updates at Singapore GP

Nine of the 10 Formula 1 teams have declared updates for the Singapore Grand Prix with another major McLaren package and updates to Red Bull’s rear wing and floor edges among the upgrades

Formula 1

Is there anyone who could beat Verstappen in this Red Bull?

Christian Horner reckons no one else could get as much speed out of the dominant 2023 Red Bull Formula 1 car as Max Verstappen. Is that true? We assess how the likes of Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso, Charles Leclerc, George Russell and Lando Norris might fare

Formula 1

Mark Hughes: Where Perez goes after first hint of Red Bull exit

Sergio Perez has given the first indication that he’ll explore options outside of Red Bull before his current Formula 1 contract expires at the end of 2024. Mark Hughes explains his likely options

Formula 1

Mark Hughes: Sainz fought valiantly against inevitable defeat

Was there anything Carlos Sainz and Ferrari could’ve done differently to stop Max Verstappen and Red Bull winning the Italian Grand Prix? Mark Hughes doubts it, especially given the impact of a crucial race day temperature change

Formula 1

Mark Hughes: Ferrari’s rare triumph over Red Bull explained

Mark Hughes compares Ferrari’s and Red Bull’s best laps in F1’s Italian GP qualifying – and explains what it may mean for Sunday

Formula 1

Mark Hughes: Ferrari looks formidable amid the Monza gambles

In Italian Grand Prix practice, Ferrari showed great straightline speed and slow-corner balance, while Red Bull still seemed to be searching for the right Monza trade-off

Formula 1

Ferrari goes furthest as F1 teams adapt their cars for Monza

The list of Formula 1 car upgrades for the Italian Grand Prix contains barely any actual upgrades – it’s all about circuit-specific tweaks to maximise pace on Monza’s straights

Formula 1

Mark Hughes: Every peril Verstappen overcame for record F1 win

The wildly unpredictable Zandvoort weather introduced so many moments of jeopardy for the focus of the crowd’s adoration, Max Verstappen. But the way he avoided them all is key to what makes him and Red Bull such a potent winning machine right now as Mark Hughes explains

Formula 1

Mark Hughes: Williams and Albon’s latest heroics are their best yet

Downforce-dependent tracks are rarely where Williams shine but Alex Albon secured the team’s best qualifying of 2023 at Zandvoort. So how did it happen and can the team expect to stay there on Sunday? Mark Hughes has some answers…

Formula 1

Mark Hughes: Where Zandvoort pacesetter McLaren actually stands

McLaren’s strong form appears to be continuing unabated at the Dutch GP as, although Oscar Piastri crashed, Lando Norris led the way in FP2. But where does it really stand at Zandvoort compared to F1 dominator Red Bull? Mark Hughes runs the numbers

Formula 1

Major Aston Martin package among Dutch GP F1 upgrades

The first race since the end of the Formula 1 summer break hasn’t been matched by a flurry of upgrades, but there are significant packages from both Aston Martin and Haas on show at the Dutch Grand Prix

Formula 1

Mark Hughes: Why a qualifying DRS ban would barely hurt Red Bull

Even if reports of plans to ban DRS use in Formula 1 qualifying sessions come to fruition, it’s not going to do much to stop Red Bull, as Mark Hughes explains

Formula 1

Mark Hughes: What Verstappen’s radio scoldings tell us

Max Verstappen’s tense radio exchanges with engineer Gianpiero Lambiase were an attention-grabbing element of a dominant Belgian Grand Prix weekend. Mark Hughes gives his take on the Max and GP relationship, and what it says about Verstappen

Formula 1

Mark Hughes: How Alpine snatched its face-saving result

A first Pierre Gasly podium for Alpine – albeit in the Spa F1 sprint – could not have been better timed for a beleaguered team that had just announced a trio of high-profile exits. Mark Hughes explains how it was done