The Stats you Need
After an action-packed Silverstone weekend, Formula 1 heads to the beloved Hungaroring in Hungary.
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This circuit has been hosting a Grand Prix since Nelson Piquet took the tracks maiden victory in 1986. Drivers commonly share positive feelings towards the Hungaroring for its ‘karting-like’ feel. With 14 turns, and one long start-finish straight which supports the singular DRS zone, the drivers are tested on their concentration and skill for 70 laps. This track was purpose built for Formula 1 which is one of the reasons why the racing here is often so thrilling.
Each lap is around 4.3km long. After 70 laps, the drivers will have completed 306km which is about two-and-a-half times as long as Hadrian’s Wall in the UK. Russel grabbed pole last year with a time of 1:17.377. Hamilton secured the fasted lap of the race with a 1:21.386. Keep your eyes on the number 44 of Lewis Hamilton; if he leads 13 laps of the race, he will be the first driver to have led 500 laps at a single circuit in the history of the sport.
What Happened in 2022?
Last year, fans were treated to some spectacular racing, both in the Grand Prix and qualifying. George Russel secured his first pole position in Formula 1 at Hungary last season. The Mercedes proved a strong car last year as Russel led the race for 15 laps. The ‘Silver Arrows’ were able to bag a double podium. Hamilton managed to make his way from P7 to P2, overtaking his teammate on his way to that second spot.
The main story from Hungary last season followed a familiar pattern, Red Bull success and Ferrari failure. Verstappen had one of his best career races yet, powering his Bull from P10 to cross the finish line first. This was executed through genius strategy and fast pitstops, ensuring an undercut on Sainz. Throughout the weekend, it was clear that the hard tires were not performing well. Ferrari took a gamble on Leclerc, pitting for the hard tires. To no ones surprise, Charles lacked any pace on the hard tires. Verstappen eventually took the lead past the Monegasque driver. The Dutchman was clearly getting bored, performing a perfect pirouette out of turn 13, letting the Prancing Horse past him again and then overtaking him one more time. Sainz seemed a certain podium sitter, but slow stops halted that goal.
What to Expect at the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix
What all fans will be in suspense to see is Ricciardo back in a Formula 1 seat. After a series of poor performances, De Vries was thrown out of his AlphaTauri seat. Ricciardo recorded his second F1 victory at the Hungaroring in 2014. With wins at various circuits like Canada and Monaco, Daniel Ricciardo clearly enjoys the corner focused circuits that challenge the driver more than others.
Is there any real challenges towards Max Verstappen this weekend? I don’t believe so. Following last years dominant performance from P10, Verstappen is already on a streak of 5 pole positions in a row, so this seemingly shouldn’t be an issue once again. Perez only managed P11 in qualifying last season so it would take quite an effort to challenge for that front grid position.
Mercedes will be delighted with their race at Silverstone last weekend. Hamilton took P3 and Russel displayed strong tyre efficiency in the Silver Arrow. 2022 provided a pole position and double podium for Mercedes, so they will be entering this race with high hopes. George Russels’ pole last year was actually rather unexpected, so could we be treated to yet another shock at the front row?
The next team to watch isn’t Ferrari, and it isn’t Aston Martin. It is McLaren. After an exhilarating P2 and P3 qualifying, both drivers in Papaya proved their upgrades to be effective and landed McLaren their first podium of the season. Norris was able to prove a fair challenge to Verstappen, even beating him off the line and leading for a few laps. What is important for McLaren is to make sure this wasn’t a one-off performance and to maintain this position into Hungary.
Looking towards the other teams and drivers, Alonso has failed on his promise to get a podium in every single race since he made that comment. It seemed an odd weekend for the Aston Martin team. Alonso finishing in P7 with Stroll all the way down in P14. Williams pulled through once again with a points finish from Albon in P8, and Sargeant finishing a solid P11, still awaiting his first points in Formula 1. Williams will be looking to solidify themselves as a midfield team. Ferrari will hope for a better Grand Prix than their 2022 Hungary run. Their heads will be down after a disappointing Silverstone turnout where podium hopes turned into a battle for points.
There seems to be a lot to look forward to at the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix!
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Hungaroring Image – https://f1experiences.com/fr/blog/where-to-watch-the-action-at-the-hungaroring
Russel Pole Image – https://www.autoweek.com/racing/formula-1/a40760753/mercedes-george-russell-stuns-f1-field-with-pole-for-hungarian-grand-prix/
Hungary Turn 1 Image – https://racingnews365.com/f1-2022-hungarian-gp-race-results