The legendary Hungarian Grand Prix makes a return for the 2024 season, with plenty of excitement as rivalries and competition intensify at the top of the world championship standings.
Event Overview
There’s no sprint this weekend at the Hungaroring in Budapest this weekend, so all the focus will be on qualifying and then the full-length race, and perhaps the burgeoning revival of Lewis Hamilton vs. Max Verstappen, as Red Bull continue to dominate but hint at some vulnerability.
F1 Hungarian Grand Prix 202 Schedule
Friday
- FP1: 1:30pm UK time / 2:30pm CET / 8:30am ET
- FP2: 5pm UK time / 4pm CET / 12pm ET
Saturday
- FP3: 12:30pm UK time / 1:30pm CET / 7:30am ET
- Qualifying: 4pm UK time / 5pm CET / 11am ET
Sunday
- Race: 3pm UK time / 4pm CET / 10am ET
Circuit Information
The Hungaroring is 4.381km (2.722 miles) long, with the race lasting 70 laps.
With several tight turns and only one truly long straight from the starting line, there are complications from the amount of dust that accumulates on the track due to underuse. That rough surface and twisty track means that overtaking can be extremely difficult. That puts more pressure on qualifying, with the leader often unable to dominate proceedings uninterrupted.
Expectations and Pre-Race Analysis
The nature of the track means that it is often difficult for cars to pass one another. The tight turns provide one obstacle to that, but the other difficulty is that the under-used track often accumulates dust between events, which hampers aggressive driving.
As a result, the pressure will be on teams to set up their cars for their fastest-possible single lap times, and then they will have to tinker with their pitstop strategy ahead of the race itself. With overtaking difficult, track position early on can gain additional importance, as can any delays in the paddocks.
With no sprint race offering points, there is little margin for error in qualifying or the full-length competition on Sunday.
Drivers and Teams
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen will be hoping that Lewis Hamilton’s British Grand Prix success was merely a blip rather than a sign he is coming back to his best before his switch to Ferrari.
For the current champion, a procession victory would put to bed any excitement around that topic, but if Hamilton wins – or simply makes life difficult for his long-time rival – then the pressure will be on.
For Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris, they will be loath to let Verstappen get back to winning ways, and they will want to put points on the board.
Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll will both be hoping to establish themselves in the top 10 with Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber.
Key Storylines and Talking Points
For Red Bull and Max Verstappen, the key intrigue is whether the Dutchman can land a fourth successive world title, and if he will choose to remain with the Austrian team. With Christian Horner providing off-the-track controversy, and links for Verstappen to leave the team in search of a new challenge, another title for Verstappen might keep him with his current employers.
For Mercedes, their shock victory at the British Grand Prix, not with George Russell but with the soon-to-depart Lewis Hamilton, might see the experienced Briton make a challenge up the table as he prepares to move to Ferrari and – he will hope – compete at the top again. For Russell, he will hope to prove his worth to his current employers as he looks to land the lead driver spot in 2025.
Lando Norris, too, might hope to prove he is the new force to be reckoned with as McLaren continue to improve, and Charles Leclerc will be feeling the heat as Hamilton and others impress. Both Norris and Leclerc need to win to cut Verstappen’s lead at the top of the standings.
Aston Martin and Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber will also be looking to impress, with Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll of Aston Martin in ninth and tenth respectively. A victory might help them put pressure on eighth-placed Hamilton.
Circuit History and Memorable Moments
Hungaroring became the first F1 race on the calendar to take place behind the Iron Curtain, and has remained a fixture of the franchise ever since, traditionally attracting Finns and Germans to make the trek.
Briton’s Nigel Mansell put on a famously aggressive performance, starting in 12th in 1989, and finally getting past leader Ayrton Senna. The circuit has also provided first career wins for Damon Hill, Fernando Alonso, Heikki Kovalainen and Estaban Ocon. Additionally, Michael Schumacher equalled Alain Prost’s 51 GP victories in 2001, and Lewis Hamilton set a record of eight wins in Hungary in 2020.
Max Verstappen could make it a hat-trick after winning the last two run outs.
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