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Amid shock news of Daniel Ricciardo’s return to racing, the Formula One world championship arrives in Budapest, the scene of one of the Aussie’s most famous victories in 2014. Tune in on The Roar from 11pm (AEST) for live blog updates and lap-by-lap coverage of the Hungarian Grand Prix.
The race this time round isn’t going to see the 34-year old in contention for a win in what is the slowest car on the grid, but there will be desire for a points finish in what is traditionally an attritional race.
70 laps across the go-kart style 4.3km circuit offers little in the way of overtaking, with only the run to Turns 1 and 2 with DRS the real opportunity. The challenge therefore lies in consistency, keeping a cool head and strategy.
Keeping a cool head will be key, with high temperatures expected for race day – which will also be a challenge for tyre management, with a two-stop race the predicted strategy option for most.
Silverstone saw McLaren vault into contention as best of the rest behind Red Bull, with their colossal upgrade package and cool conditions propelling Lando Norris to a podium and rookie Oscar Piastri not too far behind.
Their practice pace from Friday indicated they’re in the mix again, but with the likes of Mercedes and Ferrari much closer. Red Bull, despite their truncated running thanks to Sergio Perez’s early FP1 crash remain the benchmark.
Much like McLaren’s Silverstone shock, Mercedes wowed with Lewis Hamilton, claiming an eighth pole at the Hungaroring and his first since Saudi Arabia in 2021. The seven-time world champion pipped Max Verstappen by a miniscule 0.003-seconds.
A contrasting tale for Mercedes teammate George Russell, who was eliminated in Q1 and will likely struggle from eighteenth on the grid. Both McLarens again occupy the second row, but in warmer conditions it’ll be intriguing to see how they fare.
Another standout in qualifying was Guanyu Zhou in fifth, heading both Alfa Romeos who made it into the top ten – ahead of their engine suppliers crucially in Ferrari. Points finishes could be on if they play their cards right with their constructor’s championship rivals outside the top ten.
It’s been a hot minute since Hamilton’s lead a front-row with Verstappen, so can the Briton challenge the reigning world champion? It’s a difficult ask considering how quick that Red Bull is still.
Lights out: 11pm (AEST)
Venue: Hungaroring, Budapest
TV: Fox Sports
Streaming: Kayo Sports
Grid
1. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes), 2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull), 3. Lando Norris (McLaren), 4. Oscar Piastri (McLaren), 5. Guanyu Zhou (Alfa Romeo), 6. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari), 7. Valtteri Bottas (Alfa Romeo), 8. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin), 9. Sergio Perez (Red Bull), 10. Nico Hülkenberg (Haas), 11. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari), 12. Esteban Ocon (Alpine), 13. Daniel Ricciardo (AlphaTauri), 14. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin), 15. Pierre Gasly (Alpine), 16. Alexander Albon (Williams), 17. Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri), 18. George Russell (Mercedes), 19. Kevin Magnussen (Haas), 20. Logan Sargeant (Williams)
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