Motor Racing
Hungarian Grand Prix preview
After a rather dramatic British Grand Prix where Lewis Hamilton picked up his first F1 win in over two and a half years, holding off Max Verstappen by a mere second, the drivers head to Hungary for their next challenge.
It’s fair to say that for F1 fans, this season has been an absolute corker so far with six different winners topping the podium already, which is a far cry from Verstappen’s dominance last season in which only two others managed to get the better of him.
The Hungaroring circuit does carry with it some history, as the first Formula One Grand Prix behind the Iron Curtain in 1986 and was built in just eight months in the town of Mogyoród, Budapest.
We preview the Hungary Grand Prix below.
Bet on the Hungarian Grand Prix with William Hill
Hungaroring circuit overview
Held in the summer months, the Hungarian Grand Prix brings with it some challenges and tends to be a pretty dusty surface due to its underuse throughout the year. These kind of tracks usually become faster over the weekend because of the increased rubber residue gathered throughout the weekend, but not here.
The track itself is often likened to Monaco without the barriers due to the constant change in direction without any long straights. As a result of this, we can expect the teams to opt for an increased downforce set up to make the most out of the twists and turns.
If last year is anything to go by, the teams will be going for a two-stop race on the softest tyres Pirelli have. The weather is looking to be pretty hot as well, so tyre wear management is going to be of utmost importance.
Main teams to look out for
Aston Martin
For Aston Martin, all things considered, the British Grand Prix wasn’t a bad race as they finished P7 and P8, scoring some very valuable points for the team keeping them at fifth in the Constructors’ championship.
Hungary is likely to be more of a challenge, though, as they’ve struggled in the higher-downforce races so far this season. Given the car’s makeup, tyre wear is far less forgiving for them as well. Fernando Alonso is out at 50/1 to finish in the top three so we think it could be one to miss.
Mercedes
Mercedes have had a pretty decent run of form with George Russell picking up the win in Canada, despite a bit of luck, with Lewis Hamilton more recently converting at his home track at Silverstone. One can only imagine, with the car in good condition and the drivers filled to the brim with confidence, they could head into this Grand Prix as serious contenders.
Both Mercedes drivers are odds-on to finish on the podium, with George Russell 4/5 and Lewis Hamilton a fraction longer at 10/11, which could offer some value if they manage to capitalise on their upwards trajectory and improved car.
McLaren
Last time out, it was a frustrating time for McLaren. Lando Norris could be heard over the radio asking about the tyre choice, but his team didn’t seem to have the answers for him which ultimately led to the race slipping from his grasp. Despite having arguably the fastest car, operationally, McLaren still have a fair bit to find.
Norris is as short as 3/1 to take the win here, with Oscar Piastri a slim price of 11/8 to find the podium, which given their form throughout the season doesn’t seem such a tall order for the pair as it once was.
Ferrari
The nightmare for Ferrari continued at Silverstone as a poor call regarding the tyres resulted in Charles Leclerc falling out of contention with the frontrunners. Carlos Sainz had a better race in comparison but once the track had dried up a bit, it was really noticeable that the Ferrari car wasn’t quite where it was earlier on in the season with regards to pace.
That said, the Hungaroring should play to their strengths as it’s similar to Monaco, a race in which both Ferrari drivers found the podium. Leclerc has a price of 3/1 to finish on the podium, with Sainz slightly adrift at 7/2 which could provide a bit of value.
Red Bull
Max Verstappen was really struggling for pace early on around Silverstone in the dry conditions, ending up losing a position to both McLaren cars. After the rain fell, the fresh set of hard tyres saw him plough through and make up some serious ground, losing out to Hamilton by just over a second in the final stages.
He still leads the market at 10/11 to win this one. Over the course of the season his price has been drifting out, so the value is increasing week-on-week and it might be worth holding off for a little bit longer.
