The Hungarian Grand Prix was eventful, to say the least, with the backmarkers having a big role to play.

Lando Norris took his first win as reigning world champion at the Hungaroring, converting his surprising pole position into victory. This was the first time the Brit had scored repeat Grand Prix wins at any track or in any Grand Prix event in his Formula 1 career. His victory extended McLaren’s record as the team with the most wins at the Hungarian Grand Prix with 14 and their third consecutive victory at the circuit.

However, those at the back of the grid were wreaking havoc on the frontrunners when they were attempting to lap them. This is due to a system malfunction with the blue flags, which are used to signal that a driver has a faster car behind them and must move to allow them through.

Technical Problems Plagued the Hungarian Grand Prix

Credit: REUTERS/Bernadett Szabo

Blue flags are physically waved at the side of the track by the marshals. However, drivers now have multiple opportunities to see them, with visible light panels around the circuit and drivers seeing the blue flags concerning them appearing on their steering wheel display.

However, in Sunday’s race, the blue flags were shown randomly and without driver numbers to the point where Norris and Kimi Antonelli were mistakenly shown blue flags despite being among the fastest cars on track.

This had particularly disastrous consequences when Norris’ teammate, Oscar Piastri, lost the lead of the race due to a bizarre collision with Carlos Sainz, who was fighting with Fernando Alonso in last place. The Australian was naturally furious, claiming the Spaniard was fighting Alonso ‘like it was the world championship’. His misery was further compounded when he suffered a gearbox issue and was forced to watch his McLaren colleague take victory.

But Sainz wasn’t the only driver causing problems. Gabriel Bortoleto was also frustrating those ahead, holding up Lewis Hamilton in the closing laps and hindering Mercedes, earning criticism from the Silver Arrows’ boss, Toto Wolff.

Wolff said via Sky Sport Germany: “I’m annoyed about the marshalling system with the blue flags, which didn’t work. I’m annoyed about the backmarkers who don’t get out of the way and can cost you a podium finish. That’s not on.

“Bortoleto was blocking us. Unbelievable! If they’re driving at the front, I’d like to hear what they have to say when someone’s weaving around like that.”

The Austrian team principal went as far as to call the backmarkers’ engineers ‘Teletubby engineers’ for not informing their drivers of faster cars approaching, labelling it ‘disgraceful’.

Bortoleto defended his actions, pointing out that the malfunction with the blue flags made it difficult to know whether he needed to yield.

The Audi driver said: “The system didn’t work. The blue flag wasn’t working anymore. I got stuck behind [Oliver] Bearman and [Carlos] Sainz myself. Something wasn’t working there.”

Bortoleto would finish in 11th, just outside the points places, while Sainz and Bearman were 18th and 19th respectively. Bearman would receive a five-second time penalty for ignoring blue flags.

Bortoleto continued: “I always had to wait until my engineer told me something. He only told me before Turn 11 that I should let them [Antonelli and Hamilton] past, and I did so straight away.

“I had no indication of blue flags on the screens, and I can’t look in the mirror in the middle of the corner.”

F1 Driver Slammed For Being ‘In Over His Head’ at Hungarian Grand Prix

Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher didn’t accept the Brazilian’s justification, however. The six-time Grand Prix winner and brother of seven-time world champion, Michael Schumacher, claimed that he failed to understand why Bortoleto couldn’t ‘look in his mirrors’ to see the frontrunners and argued that he should ‘step aside’ from the sport if he’s incapable of doing that.

The German said: “I can’t understand that at all. Every driver knows what’s at stake. You’ve got your engineer, you ask him and you also check your rear-view mirror.

“If he tells me he can’t look in the rear-view mirror whilst driving, then he’s in over his head and needs to step aside. But that’s really unsportsmanlike.”

The 21-year-old won Formula 2 in his rookie season in 2024, becoming the first driver to win from last on the grid in either Formula 2 or Formula 1. He also obtained several points finishes in his rookie season in F1, so he certainly shows great potential, but he’ll be looking to avoid getting on the wrong side of the frontrunners too often if he wishes to succeed in the cutthroat sport.

With the summer break underway, it’s hoped that the blue flag error will be fixed by the next race in Zandvoort from the 21st to the 23rd of August, with much of the season left at stake. Can Norris overturn a 91-point deficit to Antonelli to be a back-to-back champion? It’s certainly not improbable, but only time will tell.

Football is bracing for a fresh confrontation at the very top, with European nations reportedly weighing up an extraordinary act of defiance against FIFA president Gianni Infantino amid growing unrest over the direction he is taking the sport in.

According to Sky News, UEFA nations are set to hold an emergency virtual meeting this week to discuss opposition to FIFA’s plan to sell off a stake in the organisation to private investors, with the prospect of boycotting the World Cup said to be on the table if Infantino refuses to back down and reconsider his approach.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino via REUTERS/Gareth Bumstead

FIFA has confirmed plans to launch a new commercial subsidiary, FIFA Forward Enterprise, reportedly worth $20bn, and sell more than 20% of it to external investors in a bid to raise $4.2 billion. The English FA is understood to have been kept in the dark before FIFA’s announcement, having heard nothing of the strategy during meetings in New York on the eve of the World Cup final.

UEFA responded furiously, stating:

Trump Family Links add to the Controversy as Andy Burnham gets Involved

REUTERS/Hannah Mckay

The row is the latest in a string of clashes between Infantino and UEFA, whose president Aleksander Ceferin previously forced FIFA to abandon plans for a biennial World Cup by threatening a European boycott. Suspicion has also been raised over FIFA’s proposed lead investor, Thrive Eternal, whose CEO Josh Kushner is the brother of Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared.

Infantino has defended the plans, insisting they would more than double funding available to member associations for grassroots development between 2027 and 2030. He said the move was about “the democratisation of football worldwide.”

Prime Minister Andy Burnham said on X, football “belongs to the fans” and not investors, adding:

UEFA’s opposition may be undermined by FIFA needing only a majority of its 211 member associations, many of whom depend on funding from the global body, rather than European backing. But with Spain reigning as both men’s and women’s world champions, FIFA’s reliance on European talent gives UEFA real leverage should the dispute escalate further.

Leeds United have had a big summer transfer window so far, but Daniel Farke and the 49ers are pushing to make even more additions before the campaign begins.

The Whites have brought in Harry Wilson from Fulham on a free transfer, and Tarik Muharemovic in a £34m deal from Sassuolo, while they have agreed terms to sign Man City goalkeeper James Trafford in a club-record deal worth in excess of £40m.

But after avoiding relegation last season, the club are keen to ensure that they are able to improve even more this summer, and they have identified a Serie A champion as a potential target.

Leeds Ready to Pay £34m for Sucic

According to Corriere Dello Sport, Leeds have a strong interest in a deal to sign Inter Milan star Petar Sucic this summer.

Sucic, who has been described as the fastest player in the Croatia squad following his performances at the World Cup this summer, was a key player as Inter won the Serie A title ahead of Napoli, making 34 appearances in the process.

His performances haven’t gone unnoticed, and Leeds are understood to be willing to pay up to around €40m (£34m) to get a deal done to bring the 22-year-old to Elland Road.

However, Inter have absolutely no interest in a deal to let the Croatian leave this summer, with manager Christian Chivu viewing him as a key member of his starting lineup in central midfield.

Chivu believes the player can continue to improve and develop at the San Siro, and is adamant that a sale isn’t considered by the board unless the club receives a ‘monstrous’ or ‘irresistible’ offer. £34m wouldn’t scratch the surface in that sense, and a move to Leeds looks highly unlikely at this stage.

Sucic Would Be Leeds’ Best Midfielder

Leeds have got great strength and depth in their midfield with Ethan Ampadu, Anton Stach, Sean Longstaff and Ilia Gruev, but if they were able to pull off a deal for Sucic then there’s no doubting he would be their best midfielder.

He’s the complete midfielder, capable of playing on the ball but also winning possession back, and he would fit in seamlessly at Leeds, but also in the Premier League.

It’s therefore no surprise at all that Inter want to keep him, and it’s fair to say that moving from the Italian champions to Leeds at this stage would be a backwards step. Unless something crazy happens, then this deal won’t go through, but Leeds are showing great ambition to bolster the squad and become a Premier League side for the foreseeable future.