Aditya ChaudhuriAfter an exciting British Grand Prix, racing is back after a two-week gap, with the grid seeing a familiar name rejoining it.
While Red Bull continue to impress, the likes of McLaren, Aston Martin and Mercedes are in the fight just behind them.
Ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix this weekend, we look at a few predictions.
Time’s running out for Pérez
The 2023 season started with only one team as clear favourites every round. The Red Bull machinery was quickly proven as far superior to its peers, and everyone quickly understood that no one would be challenging the Austrian team.
Red Bull’s dominance has put Max Verstappen on top of the World Drivers’ Championship (WDC) standings again, and it looks unlikely for any other driver from the other teams to be able to challenge him.
To put things in perspective, Mercedes are second in the Constructor’s Standings with 203 points, while Verstappen sits pretty on top of the Drivers’ Standings with 255 points. He has single-handedly outscored all the other teams on the grid.
The only person who can challenge Verstappen is also the only other person in the Red Bull machinery as well — Sergio Pérez.
Pérez started the season strong and won two of the opening four races, putting some pressure on Verstappen for the WDC title. Since the Monaco race, however, Pérez has been on a string of poor results, which now sees Verstappen 99 points clear of the Mexican in the Championship battle.
Poor Qualifying has hurt Pérez, and time is running out for him. If he wants to stay in the title fight, he needs to have a flawless weekend, starting with Hungary. Pérez’s biggest concern at the moment is how comfortable Verstappen is getting with the car, and if the reigning World Champion goes into the summer break with a lead of over 100 points, this season might well be considered over.
And if that wasn’t enough, Pérez also has two-time World Champion Fernando Alonso hot on his heels for the second place.
Pole prediction: Max Verstappen
Win prediction: Red Bull
Will Ricciardo be able to make a difference?
A major development that took place between the British and Hungarian Grands Prix was AlphaTauri sacking their rookie driver Nyck de Vries and bringing back former Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo to replace him for the rest of the season.
Ricciardo, who was with the team during their Toro Rosso days, is already familiar with the personnel, though it won’t be an easy comeback for him. Ricciardo himself struggled during his seasons with McLaren in 2021 and 2022; moving to a team with arguably the second-slowest car—if not the slowest—will be a tough task for the Australian.
While Ricciardo has plenty of experience and is a highly renowned driver, don’t expect immediate miracles from him. The Australian will most likely have a rough time in Hungary.
McLaren and Aston Martin in a tight scrap
While Red Bull are in a league of their own, Aston Martin, having started the season as the second-best team, have since then faced a challenge from Mercedes and, most recently, McLaren, whose latest upgrades have moved them right to the front of the grid.
Heading to Hungary, expect Aston Martin to bring the fight to McLaren, as both of them should be fighting to be the second-best team on the grid.
Podium prediction: Aston Martin / McLaren
- Circuit: Hungaroring
- Venue: Mogyoród, Hungary
- Practice Session 1 time: 17:00, July 21
- Practice Session 2 time: 20:30, July 21
- Practice Session 3 time: 16:00, July 22
- Qualifying Session time: 19:30, July 22
- Main race time: 18:30, July 23
- Where to watch: F1 TV Pro
