Formula 1 lands in Budapest this weekend for the final race before the summer shutdown and there’s plenty at stake.
The Budapest track, the Hungaroring is rightly called “Monaco without the walls”.
WE GO AGAIN! 👊
It’s the last race week before the summer break 😎#F1 #HungarianGP pic.twitter.com/gkuHaiL22R
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 20, 2026
It is tight and twisty and there’s barely enough to breathe let alone pass, which means whoever nails qualifying on Saturday is probably on route to victory on Sunday.
Kimi Antonelli arrives on the back of a sixth race win of the season to extend his championship lead after George Russell crashed out on the opening lap in Belgium.
That result puts the burden on Russell and Mercedes to bounce back but Ferrari smells blood.
With significant upgrades for both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc heading to Hungary. This might be the track they finally make a real dent in Mercedes’ points advantage.
History is on McLaren’s side here as well. Per ESPN, Lando Norris won the last Hungarian Grand Prix, with a dominant one-two of Lando and Piastri in 2025.
Do not be shocked if the papaya cars are in the mix again despite a calmer weekend in Belgium.
Keep an eye on Red Bull as well. The low-speed, high-downforce requirements of the Hungaroring should be more to the liking of their chassis than Spa was.
Pirelli’s compounds of choice are the C3, C4 and C5 and with 70 laps to complete on the 4.381-kilometre circuit. Tyre management and pit strategy will be just as important as outright pace.
Add to that the summer heat that normally blankets the Hungaroring and teams will be sweating the technicalities as much as the drivers are sweating in the cockpit.
