Mark Hughes

Formula 1

Hamilton agrees shock Ferrari F1 move for 2025

According to sources who should know, a seismic Lewis Hamilton-to-Ferrari Formula 1 deal for 2025 is agreed

Formula 1

Mark Hughes: Why Norris picked McLaren over Red Bull

Lando Norris could probably have got himself a Red Bull drive if he’d so desired. So why pick McLaren? Mark Hughes explains

Formula 1

Mark Hughes: Why Mercedes' F1 down years are so unlike Red Bull's

Mercedes is right to draw inspiration from Red Bull's recovery after being knocked off F1's top step - but there's an unmistakable difference between the two situations

Formula 1

Mark Hughes on McLaren's worrying Red Bull theory

In assessing McLaren’s 2024 season prospects at McLaren's surprise early 2024 launch, Andrea Stella sounded a note of caution regarding Red Bull, as Mark Hughes explains

Formula 1

F1's worst works team is stuck with its laptime-killing problem

Alpine could have been vying with Mercedes for third in the 2023 Formula 1 pecking order rather than being sixth-best. And the big problem behind that underperformance won't change for another two seasons

IndyCar

Mark Hughes on de Ferran: Indy star who'd have been formidable in F1

Two-time CART champion and 2003 Indy 500 winner Gil de Ferran has died aged 56. Mark Hughes pays tribute to an effervescent driver who'd have been formidable in F1 had he not slipped through the cracks

Formula 1

The F1 colossus newly-knighted Dennis created at McLaren

Ron Dennis is among those to have been recognised on the 2024 New Year honours list with a knighthood. In this extract from a 2021 piece, here's how Mark Hughes characterised the McLaren F1 team Dennis shaped in his vision

Formula 1

Secrets of Red Bull's RB19 with Adrian Newey

The clever DRS manipulation, suspension and subtle chassis changes that took Red Bull's F1 car to a new level, all explained by its design genius Adrian Newey and The Race's Mark Hughes

Formula 1

Mark Hughes: Ferrari was misled into a key F1 design flaw

Lofty winter expectations were soon lowered hours into F1 2023's pre-season testing - so where did it all go so wrong for Ferrari this year? Mark Hughes explains + what it did to fix it

Formula 1

Inside McLaren's miracle leap - and what it means for 2024

Mark Hughes explains McLaren's remarkable 2023 turnaround and what it means for 2024

Formula 1

A statement drive that drew a line under years and years wasted

As The Race reflects on the 2023 motorsport season, we've asked our writers to recount their standout motorsport memory or feeling from the past 12 months. Mark Hughes is next up, and has gone for the race that confirmed Fernando Alonso's mid-grid wilderness years were over

Formula 1

'Is it me or the car?' - Mark Hughes' take on a pensive Hamilton

Two win-less years was not what Lewis Hamilton expected at this end of his incredible F1 career. That was clearly weighing on Hamilton when Mark Hughes heard from him in a very candid end-of-season interview

Formula 1

Mark Hughes: Red Bull's rivals were spared even bigger humbling

As the Abu Dhabi GP marked the end of the 2023 F1 season, so too some will be hoping it signalled the end of such a one-sided fight at the front. Those in that camp might have faced a grimmer winter though had Max Verstappen and the RB19 been fully unleashed

Formula 1

Mark Hughes: Did Norris really blow Abu Dhabi pole position?

Lando Norris's major moment on his final Abu Dhabi GP qualifying lap cost him the chance to improve - and, he felt, a lot more too. Did he really blow his shot at beating Max Verstappen to pole? Mark Hughes looks at the data - and finds the reality is nuanced

Formula 1

Mark Hughes: The few clues offered up by a very odd F1 Friday

The task facing F1 teams on Friday at the Abu Dhabi GP was an unenviable one given two red flags in FP2 meant long runs were at a premium. Mark Hughes looks at what sense - if any - can be made of the times on show

Formula 1

The final batch of 2023 F1 upgrades explained

It might be the final round of a 22-race season but three Formula 1 teams have brought and declared brand-new upgrades for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend

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