Hungarian Grand Prix – Presentation and predictions from the editorial team

Ocon – Hamilton – Sainz. One of the most unexpected podiums of last year took place at the Hungarian Grand Prix. A completely crazy edition marked by the carnage caused by Valtteri Bottas at the first corner. But will the race be as crazy this year?

The legendary Hungaroring

Formula 1 is heading to Hungary for the 37th time. Since its arrival in 1986, the track located in Mogyoród, northeast of Budapest, has never left the calendar. With a length of 4,381 km, the Hungaroring has 16 corners, ten to the right and six to the left. The narrow width of the track makes overtaking difficult, and the first corner chicane appears to be the best opportunity for overtaking.

Nicknamed “the carousel” or “Monaco without walls” due to its twisty layout and lack of straight lines (except for the pit straight), the Hungaroring is a true challenge for drivers with overtaking opportunities often rare and difficult. With the exception of last year, the Hungarian Grand Prix is rarely an exciting race.

However, it’s Lewis Hamilton who holds the record for the most victories in Hungary with 8 successes, far ahead of Schumacher’s 4 and Senna’s 3. It’s like a go-kart track: there are many twisty sections and turns, and the only place to relax is the straight line of the pits, which is also quite short, explains Lewis Hamilton. The track also has low grip, making overtaking risky. It’s a circuit that rewards consistency and precision: pushing too hard results in a loss of time.

Pirelli’s choice

Like last year and also like last Sunday in France, Pirelli has chosen to bring the tires from the middle of its range: the C2 (hard), C3 (medium), and C4 (soft).

The #Fit4F1 teams head to Budapest for the #HungarianGP this weekend, marking the halfway point of this season ahead of the summer break. 🇭🇺☀️

This is all you need to know👇https://t.co/LL18B9MUj8#F1 #Formula1 #Pirelli #Pirelli150 @F1 pic.twitter.com/ZYzNZngfNI

— Pirelli Motorsport (@pirellisport) July 25, 2022

The stakes of the race: Verstappen can kill the championship.

86 points: The gap between Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc has never been so significant, and it has never seemed so unattainable for the Monégasque driver. The Dutchman arrives in Hungary filled with confidence after his success in Le Castellet, while Leclerc and Ferrari are at an all-time low morale. The mistake made by the Scuderia’s driver in France may have already put an end to his championship ambitions, even though numerically, the matter is not yet settled.

Another victory for the reigning champion would almost definitely secure them a second title, but beware of the surge of pride from a Scuderia team that now has nothing to lose. Behind them, pay attention to the Mercedes team coming off a double podium at Le Castellet. In case of any incidents up front, the Silver Arrows have proven that they are there to pick up the scraps.

Alpine will also have a card to play after a new double-entry into the points in France. The French team will want to pull off the same move as last year and try to distance themselves from McLaren in the battle for fourth place in the championship.

The editorial predictions.

Leclerc’s mistake in Le Castellet doesn’t seem to have affected his reputation among our editors. Of the seven surveyed, three give their predictions in favor of the Monégasque driver, and the same number for Verstappen. One can imagine Lewis Hamilton clinching his ninth victory in Hungary. As for the podium, it appears to once again be reserved for the top three teams according to our editors.

Proof of the mano a mano that this season holds, nobody can imagine a race without Leclerc or Verstappen in one of the top two positions. Even better: nobody can imagine the Dutchman, who is a monster of consistency, off the podium. As for the Silver Arrows, three place Lewis Hamilton on the podium and one George Russell.

Regarding Carlos Sainz, his impressive comeback at Le Castellet ensures the favor of our editors as three of us can envision him back on the podium. As for Sergio Perez, who has been more discreet in recent weeks, the predictions are less flattering. Lastly, there is no need to specify that Romain Beaussier is an unconditional fan of Fernando Alonso, and he believes that Alonso will secure the pole position.