Hungarian Grand Prix Betting Preview – Ricciardo Returns And Red Bull Eyes 12th Consecutive Win

The scene is set for this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix as Red Bull chases a record 12th consecutive victory and Daniel Ricciardo returns to the grid.

Daniel Ricciardo is back on the Formula 1 grid at the Hungaroring after AlphaTauri handed the Australian Nyck De Vries’ seat.

The former Red Bull driver slots into the grid’s second-slowest car and won’t find it easy. The car has struggled with rear-end stability and proved to be a handful to drive.

Incidentally, this is a characteristic of the McLaren car that Ricciardo struggled to get his head around in 2022.

McLaren felt so strongly about Ricciardo’s underperformance that it paid the 34-year-old to exit before his contract expired.

It means the eight-time grand prix winner will have his work cut out in the AT04 and won’t find it smooth sailing. Ricciardo impressed the Red Bull hierarchy after testing at Silverstone, but in race conditions, it’s a different prospect.

The Track

Routinely labeled ‘Monaco without walls’, the Hungaroring proves to be a stern test for the drivers every year. 

Its tight twisty nature translates to only being at full throttle for half the lap. The teams usually favour low downforce and a sorted chassis to tackle the myriad of turns and short straights. There are two DRS zones located down the main straight and then from Turn 1 to Turn 2. These will be the best places for overtaking. 

The 4.38km track requires the utmost focus and drivers need to find a good rhythm over the 70 laps to get into the points positions. The kart-like layout should take drivers back to their junior days of racing.

Who’s the Favourite?

Max Verstappen starts as the favourite at the Hungaroring. The Dutch driver has six wins in a row and could help Red Bull beat McLaren’s record of 12 consecutive victories, a record that has stood since 1988.

 The RB19 has proven to be fast at a multitude of different tracks, and Verstappen can extract the most out of the package. The two-time world champion’s rapid qualifying lap to pip Lando Norris to pole position at the Silverstone was exceptional.

Ricciardo’s return to F1 could also pose trouble for Red Bull’s Sergio Perez who hasn’t performed well enough in the grid’s fastest car. The Australian no doubt wants to impress at AlphaTauri but also has one eye on Perez’s seat.

The Mexican driver finished two sixth-place finishes in his last races. In addition to that he has world champions Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton breathing down his back in the drivers’ standings.

Perez’s odds at 11/1 to win the race on Sunday place him as the second favourite. Verstappen is at 1.33 to grab the win. Hamilton, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, and Alonso are all at 15/1 to win the Hungarian GP. 

Leclerc is at 6.50 to claim pole position with Max at 1.36.

Ferrari and Aston Martin will be hoping to put in good performances. They have good chassis and are rapid in the slow to medium corners. However, Verstappen has shown that the RB19 is simply a great all-rounder and the team will bring upgrades this weekend. 

Keep a lookout for McLaren’s young duo of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri coming off the high of the British GP to barge their way into the top six. There are decent odds on Esteban Ocon (6.50) and Pierre Gasly (7.50) to finish in the top six.

Tyres

According to F1.com, Pirelli will supply three of the softest compounds in their range for the race at the Hungaroring race. The trio of tyres to choose from are the C3 (hard tyre), C4 (medium tyre) and C5 (soft tyre).

Sean Parker

Sean Parker is a motorsport journalist and sports content creator at The South African. He has worked for the country's premier motoring publications, and is a Formula 1 contributor to Bet.co.za, the Bet Central podcast, and Vision View Sports radio.