The Hungaroring is one of the more twisty circuits on the Formula One calendar. For that reason, it has been known to produce processional races in the past, yet it has also played host to some of the sport’s more chaotic and memorable races.
Sunday’s Hungarian GP serves as round 11 on the Formula One calendar with the warm-up lap beginning at 8 a.m. ET. Here’s a look at who’s hot and who’s not heading into the race:
Lewis Hamilton - HOT
Sure, he performed terribly here last year, but right now Lewis Hamilton is on a roll. He has won four out of the past five races, and finished fifth in the other one (Baku) after starting 10th on the grid. And don’t let last year’s performance get in the way of Hamilton’s track record at Hungary either. He has won four times in his nine races here and has finished sixth or better each time he has made it to the finish.
Nico Rosberg - NOT
Alternatively, Nico Rosberg has not fared well in the past several races and, in 10 starts in Hungary, he has never finished on the podium. It’s easy to forget that Rosberg was on a roll at the start of 2016, winning the first four races on the trot. Since then, he has only stood on the top step of the podium once (Baku) in the past six rounds.
Ferrari - HOT
As of recent, Ferrari has been dropping back a bit, and Red Bull Racing seems to have became the No. 2 team. However, let’s not rule Ferrari out just yet. This weekend is the first time they’re returning to a track where they won last year. In fact, in the last six years, Sebastian Vettel has stood on the podium here four times, while Kimi Raikkonen has stood on it in seven of the past 11 years. Raikkonen is also the only driver to have finished sixth or higher in each race he’s made it to the finish this year, whereas Vettel proved the Ferrari could still lead just two rounds ago in Austria.
Williams - NOT
The British GP two weeks ago marked the first time that Williams Racing failed to score a point in a race this year. Don’t look for them to be able to turn it around this weekend, as the twisty nature of the Hungaroring doesn’t play well to the team’s top-speed advantage. In fact, the team also failed to score points at the Hungaroring last year - one of just three times that it happened that season.
Red Bull - HOT
Sticking with a team-by-team theme here, things look really good for the Red Bull Racing team this year. Max Verstappen has finished in second place in the last two races, while Daniel Ricciardo won here in 2014. Last year at the Hungaroring, both Red Bull Racing teammates finished on the podium, with Daniil Kvyat in second and Ricciardo in third. Max Verstappen wasn’t far behind them in the Toro Rosso either, finishing in a - at the time - career-best position of fourth.
Jenson Button - HOT
Jenson Button has some incredible statistics here. In 16 starts here, he has finished 13 of them. Of those 13, he has only finished outside of the top 10 once, and he has two race victories - including the first of his career - here, the first in 2006, and the second in 2011. Heck, if he keeps that streak alive of winning the Hungarian GP every five years, this weekend’s race could be looking really good for Button!
