F1: Hungarian Grand Prix Preview And Predictions

This weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix comes at an exciting period in the Formula 1 season. Mercedes has won the last two races, and Lewis Hamilton claimed his first win since 2021.

The seven-time champion became the sixth different winner in 2024 when he claimed a record ninth British GP victory.

Championship leader Max Verstappen welcomes the competitiveness in the sport. He told F1.com: ”Of course, this year also started competitively, and now everyone is catching up a bit. Every race is a proper battle as well, so it’s great.”

Verstappen and his rivals will battle at the Hungaroring in Budapest this weekend as he looks to return to winning ways. The race is the first of a double-header with the Belgian GP set for next weekend.

The Track

The 4.381km Hungaroring circuit poses a different challenge to the rapid Silverstone track. It is tight, slow, and narrow, and full throttle is needed for only 50% of the lap.

Due to its slow nature, it’s a hard place to overtake. Last season saw just 17 passes, tying it with the Canadian GP for the least number of overtakes.

The Hungaroring has been called ‘Monaco without walls’, and the downforce setup mirrors it. A car with a well-sorted chassis will shine due to the many slow and medium corners. And like the race in the principality, qualifying is vital.

We’re likely to see the top teams remain in contention this weekend, with Red Bull, Mercedes, and McLaren leading the pack.

The Contenders

Triple world champion Verstappen is the favourite at 1.68 for the race win with Lando Norris (4.50) and the Mercedes drivers (9.0) rounding out the top three.

The Red Bull driver has won seven races this season, while title rival Norris scored six podium finishes in the last eight races. However, the Mercedes team has shown great improvement recently to bag two pole positions and race wins.

Hamilton’s emotional win at Silverstone came at the right time as his last pole position was in Hungary last year. However, the Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff knows the W15 still has shortcomings. “We know we do not yet have a car that can challenge for victories every weekend.”

The battle will likely then be between Verstappen and Norris. The Briton knows how important this weekend is as he looks to gain ground on his rival. “Qualifying is important here, as it isn’t an easy track to overtake at, but we’ll be competitive. It’s incredible to be in a position to lead a Grand Prix, but there is some more work to do. We’re ready!”

Further down the field look out for Haas’ Nico Hulkenberg who has scored two sixth place finishes in a row. The two RB drivers could also make it into the top 10 while we see Ferrari as the outsiders for a podium finish.

Predictions

Winner: Lando Norris
Podium: Lando Norris, Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton
Top 4 and 5: George Russell and Oscar Piastri
Winning Margin: Under six seconds
Fastest lap: Max Verstappen
Pole position: Lando Norris
First to retire: Kevin Magnussen
First car to retire: Haas
Most Team Points: Mercedes
Both Cars Qualify for Q3 Shootout: McLaren
Practice 1/2/3 Winning Car: Russell / Mercedes
Safety Car: No
Top 6: Charles Leclerc, Carlos Sainz, Fernando Alonso
Top 10: Daniel Ricciardo, Lance Stroll ,Yuki Tsunoda
Fastest pit stop: Red Bull

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.