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Hungarian Grand Prix: Formula One live blog

30th July, 2017
Race start: 10pm (AEST), 2pm local
Track: Hungaroring, Mogyorod, Hungary
Race length: 70 laps
Track length: 4.38km
2016 winner: Lewis Hamilton
Sebastian Vettel racing his Ferrari in Formula 1 (Photo: GEPA pictures/ Christian Walgram)
Roar Guru
30th July, 2017
95

It only feels like yesterday that the 2017 Formula One season kicked off in Melbourne, alas the mid-point of the championship has been reached as we hit the Hungarian Grand Prix. Join The Roar for a live blog of the race from 10pm (AEST).

The Hungarian Grand Prix represents the final race before the summer break, where the teams and drivers earn a well-deserved layoff.

However, there is still 70-laps of the 4.3km Hungaroring to be contested – with a solitary point separating Sebastian Vettel from Lewis Hamilton in the Championship standings.

The Budapest-based circuit is often described as ‘Monaco without the barriers’, referring to its technical and demanding layout. Overtaking is limited also, as with the Principality.

Tyres are put to the limit also and with the medium, soft and supersoft compounds on hand this weekend, there will be an onus on the multi-stop strategy.

Little emphasis is put on power, hence the reliance upon the individual chassis to perform.

Following their late tyre blowouts at Silverstone, Ferrari has responded and have locked out the front-row in Hungary, with Sebastian Vettel on pole position ahead of Kimi Raikkonen.

Valtteri Bottas will start third and as the best placed Mercedes AMG, while car issues plague the Silver Arrows’ weekend and in particular, Lewis Hamilton, who from fourth will chase a record sixth win at the Hungaroring.

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Red Bull were unable to turn their positive Friday form into a solid qualifying result, with Max Verstappen heading up Daniel Ricciardo on the third row of the grid.

A team that will certainly be enjoying the less emphasis on power is McLaren, who will occupy seventh and eighth for the race.

Fernando Alonso and Stoffel Vandoorne both secured Q3 berths, however, are now elevated a position due to a five-place gearbox penalty for Nico Hulkenberg.

Williams have been forced to call upon their reserve driver Paul di Resta to deputise for Felipe Massa, who has taken ill.

While there are no major concerns for the Brazilian, the decision to withdraw from the remainder of the weekend was precautionary.

Scotsman Di Resta makes his return to the sport three and a half years since he last raced for Force India, qualifying nineteenth.

With the Ferraris in such a dominant position following qualifying and Hamilton’s chequered history in Hungary – the race outcome remains up in the air.

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Who will survive the heat in Hungary?

Tune into The Roar for live blog coverage from 10pm (AEST) as another exciting Hungarian Grand Prix looms.

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