Round 13 of the 2022 FIA Formula 1 World Championship takes the teams and drivers to Budapest’s Hungaroring, a venue the series has visited every year without fail since 1986.
A technical circuit, notorious for lacking overtaking opportunities, but with a knack of providing first time winners in the sport.
Future World Champions Damon Hill, Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button all claimed victory number one at the circuit dubbed “Monaco without the walls”, and Esteban Ocon joined the club of maiden winners at the circuit in 2021, after Valtteri Bottas “took out both Red Bull cars” in the words of ex-Mercedes driver and Sky F1 pundit, Nico Rosberg.
This year with the new machines, overtaking possibilities could be higher as the 2022 cars are more effective at following on another closely on track.
But will anyone be following the Ferrari’s close enough to challenge them?
Yes, the scarlet cars have thrown more points away this year than is almost believable, especially from winning positions, but heading into the weekend I felt Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz had the equipment to be at the front in Budapest.
Friday practice did not surprise me in that respect. Red Bull seemed a little behind, as they did in the final sector in Paul Ricard, those corners offering a good comparison to the majority of the Hungaroring circuit.
And without a huge straight for the Red Bull to get into it’s stride, it seems the Milton Keynes team have had their wings somewhat clipped.
Pole Winner – Charles Leclerc
Charles is the man to be and the Ferrari the car to have on Saturday’s in 2022. Sainz will push him close and Verstappen too will likely challenge, but Leclerc is the hot favourite for me.
A no-brainer in that sense.
Race Winner – Charles Leclerc
As long as Ferrari don’t “Ferrari” this race, they will win it. Leclerc must bounce back and Sainz has been in good form in recent races so the Scuderia are well set to win with either driver.
If they get the strategy right (a big if) and the car remains reliable (another big if), then we should be hearing the banger that is the Italian national anthem on Sunday afternoon.
Race Podium
1st – Charles Leclerc
2nd – Carlos Sainz
3rd – Lewis Hamilton
Bold Predictions
Ferrari lock-out the front row
Ferrari 1st, Ferrari 2nd
Lando Norris top 5 finsih, at the expense of George Russell.
