The Hungarian Grand Prix has been taking its special place in Formula 1 since 1986. Despite its hard overtaking track, the statistic is controversial; it shows drivers have been winning just 16 times starting from the pole. If you are a newbie F1 fan and interested to know what the Hungarian Grand Prix 2024 is all about, welcome to the board! Let’s take a simple brief to focus on what to expect from the race weekend.

The Hungaroring Circuit

The Hungaroring is an old-school F1 track built in the old Formula 1 era. Unlikely, you will see a huge gap time between the first five drivers to finish the race, like at the Saudi Arabian circuit Jeddah.

The Hungaroring’s significant feature is the lack of straights. The track had been rebuilt a few times. Extending the start/finish straight improved drivers’ chances of overtaking in the race. However, it is still one of the most technical circuits in the Formula 1 calendar.

The key to winning is to find a high average pace and deal with the downforce. The Hungaroring circuit’s layout is like a set of different technical corners, where the top speed is not a decisive factor.

However, the race track is one of the shortest in the season – only 4.381 km. So, setting the cars right in free practice sessions would be a cornerstone of the overall strategy for 70 laps of the 39th Formula 1 race in Hungary.

The Notable Patterns Of Hungarian Grand Prix From Past

Even if you’re a newbie, you already know that the Red Bull team has partly continued its dominance era since the 2022 Formula 1 season. Despite the Hungaroring’s layout fitting better to the Bulls because of their cars’ legendary ability of the downforce advantage, Lewis Hamilton is an absolute record breaker at the track. Mercedes driver has won the Hungary GP eight times, and as the team has added the power with new upgrades, he has additional chances to win the Grand Prix for the ninth time. If so, he will repeat his Silverstone winning way.

Hamilton has set the fastest time since 2020. He finished the lap for 1:13.447 in Qualifying and 1:16.627 in the race. His closest opponents from the current F1 drivers line-up are Red Bull of Max Verstappen, McLaren of Lando Norris, Ferrari of Carlos Sainz, his teammate for Mercedes, George Russell, and Aston Martin of Fernando Alonso.

Verstappen has two victories in Hungary, while Alonso is the only one. However, these days, Aston Martin has nothing to answer back for the top five drivers now, so that less chances for Alonso to repeat success.

Despite Max Verstappen leading the top of the possible winners in Hungary, his teammate in Red Bull, Sergio Perez, is under high pressure. It may add power because if Perez doesn’t show a worthy result – he will be replaced very soon.

However, a worthy result for McLaren is only to win the Hungarian Grand Prix. Lando Norris already has a podium finish at Hungaroring, while Oscar Piastri is not ready to give fame to his teammate because the team showcases much faster than Scuderia Ferrari. As for the Ferrari, their Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz drivers chase the chances to hit back, but it depends.

The 2024 Formula 1 Season So Far

The 2024 Formula 1 season is up to the halfway point, so the driver’s market is buzzing while tension in the constructors and drivers’ championships is heating. Therefore, even the additional point makes significant sense.

Thus, the heated battle at the Hungarian Grand Prix 2024 will deploy between Ferrari (302), McLaren (295), and Mercedes (221) teams, while Red Bull is still dominating with 373 points in the construction championship.

The running between drivers, as already the first eight racers have chances to up in the standings. Regarding the last data, I can pick Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, who finally can relish their power, forgetting past technical problems with the cars. And Lando Norris with Max Verstappen, because theoretically, Norris can win the drivers’ championship.

Overall, the Formula 1 2024 season is already marked with the occasion, as after 12 races, we have six different winners, even though Verstappen won 7 of these.

Key Moment To Watch Out For The Hungarian Grand Prix 2024

The crucial moment for F1 beginners to watch out for the Hungary GP in 2024 is tire management. It is important to focus on the tire compounds and pit stop time.

Thus, the weather forecast promises the perfect summer with +30 C during the weekend. That will be a tire test. The teams come with the softest compounds: C3 (Hard), C4 (Medium), and C5 (Soft). So, the soft allows the perfect speed, while the Hard provides the perfect grip.

However, regarding the average temperature, tires will go very fast, even the long-lasting Hard. It seems 3 stops for the 70 laps will be the worthy option to save the pace. Therefore, the right time to switch compounds and the F1 strategy decide the winner at Hungaroring.

Takeaways

• The Hungarian Grand Prix has been held in Formula 1 since 1986. The track is an old one. Due to the lack of straight and many technical turns, drivers need to find the best settings for the car.
• The tension in the driver’s standings adds the potential for upsets or surprises at the track. Thus, we started the Formula 1 2024 season with Red Bull’s dominance and Ferrari’s resists, but today, Mercedes and McLaren joined the top.  
• The tire strategy will be crucial at the Hungaroring because of the track’s layout and weather conditions. The teams have to plan for the details of compound choices and pit stop times, and every F1 beginner should keep it in mind first.

Also, you can check the full schedule for this race weekend.