Method 1 is ready for its closing race earlier than the annual summer season break with this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix, which comes only a week after Belgium.
Will probably be the eleventh spherical of the 2026 marketing campaign and marks the midway level after the sooner cancellations of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia attributable to battle within the Center East.
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So the season has very a lot taken form and there are many storylines heading into Budapest, the ultimate grand prix earlier than Zandvoort on the finish of August.
Listed here are 5 issues to subsequently look out for on the Hungaroring.
Is there any approach again for Russell?George Russell, Mercedes
George Russell, Mercedes
One step ahead, two steps again, has been the theme of George Russell’s 2026 marketing campaign as he fights Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli for the title. It began so nicely for the pre-season favorite as he gained the Melbourne opener from pole, after which the Shanghai dash, however varied misfortunes subsequently arrived.
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This contributed to the speedy Antonelli profitable the subsequent 5 grands prix to ascertain a 68-point lead, but all hope was not misplaced with solely six rounds carried out. So Russell fought again and reduce his team-mate’s lead by 43 factors throughout the subsequent three rounds with runner-up finishes in Barcelona and Silverstone, plus a victory in Austria, whereas Antonelli had two non-scores.
It seemed as if the struggle was very a lot on. However then got here Spa, the place Antonelli delivered a champion’s efficiency by blitzing the sphere to pole earlier than taking his sixth win of the season. As for Russell? Nicely, he struggled to fourth on Saturday earlier than a lap one collision with former team-mate Lewis Hamilton ended his race early and maybe his title ambitions.
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What makes Kimi Antonelli such a great F1 driver now, as per Toto Wolff
There at the moment are 50 factors between Antonelli and Russell, Hamilton can be within the combine sitting 45 off the highest, and if the Italian maintains the same benefit after Spa, it could take a collapse that mirrors that of Fernando Alonso in 2012. Again then, the Ferrari driver held a 40-point lead over Mark Webber heading right into a summer season break however extra crucially, a 42-point benefit over Webber’s Pink Bull team-mate Sebastian Vettel, who grew to become champion.
The Pink Bull was a way more superior automotive although, so for Alonso to even be in that place was outstanding. Whereas the Mercedes is the category of the sphere, so it’d take one thing extraordinary for Antonelli to not take his maiden crown.
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– Ed Hardy
Good omens for FerrariCharles Leclerc, Ferrari
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
Mercedes has been the dominant power at the beginning of those new laws by taking pole for all 10 grands prix in 2026, changing eight of these into victory. The opposite two wins belong to Ferrari, as Hamilton and Charles Leclerc claimed victories in Barcelona and Silverstone respectively after upgrades to the SF-26.
So, the Italian outfit has been the closest challenger to Mercedes, although it’s nonetheless 73 factors behind the championship chief. Its deficit lies in straightline pace with the German outfit boasting the most effective engine – no matter what ADUO says – but fortunately for Ferrari, that does not matter a lot on the Hungaroring with its mixture of slow-to-medium pace corners.
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‘Monaco with out the partitions’ is the horrible cliche given to the Budapest monitor. However nonetheless, Ferrari ought to shine this weekend and claiming its first pole of the 12 months can be a terrific begin to the weekend. That is the place the omens are good for the Scuderia, as Hungary is the place Hamilton and Leclerc each took their most up-to-date poles – in 2023 and 2025 respectively.
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Clearly for both of them to go quickest on Saturday is a large problem contemplating the tempo of Mercedes, notably Antonelli, however it’s actually up there as the largest likelihood they’ve had all season.
– Ed Hardy
A extra standard F1 weekend after Spa and Silverstone?Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
The previous two race weekends have been slightly painful in a approach. Sure, F1 shared fan knowledge suggesting viewers loved the race much more than final 12 months’s Belgian Grand Prix, however the actuality is that drivers have been removed from impressed with their energy items on energy-starved circuits.
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Prime speeds dropped dramatically on the Kemmel Straight, drivers misplaced round 50 km/h via Blanchimont, and Pouhon was now not a lot of a problem with the 2026 vehicles. Add to that the very fact some drivers have been caught out by the ability unit’s “self-learning parts”, as Andrea Stella described them, and it was hardly a fairly image.
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The excellent news is that the Hungaroring is a very completely different problem. The circuit simply outdoors Budapest is energy-rich, that means there might be far much less dialogue within the paddock about vitality administration than over the earlier two race weekends. That could be a refreshing change and likewise means the vehicles might be examined in numerous methods, with a lot higher emphasis on chassis efficiency.
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That naturally brings Ferrari to thoughts, whereas Pink Bull additionally sees a possibility as a result of the shortcomings on {the electrical} aspect of the ability unit might be much less uncovered. However whatever the aggressive image, the excellent news is that this could hopefully be a extra “regular” F1 weekend once more.
Informal followers could not discover the distinction, however those that take pleasure in watching onboards and analysing the info actually will.
– Ronald Vording
Large weekend for Aston MartinFernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing
Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing
This weekend is pivotal for Aston Martin and its 1000-strong workforce, which has endured a very horrid 2026. The indicators have been there from the start upon the late arrival of its AMR26, resulting in the Silverstone outfit being the slowest staff on the grid and Spa was the worst of the lot with Aston qualifying two seconds behind newcomer Cadillac.
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That hole wasn’t so giant in Melbourne, so it may be put all the way down to the American squad bringing upgrades to the MAC-26, whereas Aston had greater issues to deal with like truly ending a race earlier than becoming a brand new entrance wing and whatnot.
However now could be the time for these developments, and Budapest will see the British marque convey what’s basically a “B-spec” chassis, so huge is the improve. Hungary had been earmarked for it for some time and chief trackside officer Mike Krack revealed in Spa that the staff was “counting down the times”.
“For us, an important is that we return racing,” he added. “As a result of we’ve not, during the last occasions. It was very tough to maintain up with the midfield and no matter it may convey, I feel going racing is an important for everybody.”
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It is uncertain that Aston will immediately progress from the again two rows this weekend, but it surely’ll be vital to at the very least witness some progress and begin to put to mattress what has been a demoralising six months.
– Ed Hardy
Foolish season to commenceEsteban Ocon, Haas F1 Group
Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Group
F1’s summer season break often marks the beginning of ‘foolish season’, the time when driver offers for the next marketing campaign get introduced. In 2018, for instance, the shutdown noticed Daniel Ricciardo verify his shock transfer to Renault, whereas 4 years later was the notorious Oscar Piastri saga.
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It’s unlikely something of that magnitude will happen in 2026, however there are nonetheless fairly a couple of open seats for 2027 and count on the rumours to start out flooding on this weekend at Budapest. Max Verstappen is the primary one along with his Pink Bull future being a hotly debated matter, however the four-time world champion is anticipated to stay with the Austrian outfit and as soon as he formally confirms that, then the opposite dominoes ought to begin to fall.
A type of considerations Alonso, whose Aston Martin contract expires on the finish of 2026 and it’s presently up within the air whether or not the two-time champion will race past his forty fifth birthday.
There’s additionally Haas, which is debating whether or not to maintain the struggling Esteban Ocon alongside the spectacular teen Oliver Bearman or to look elsewhere – Rafael Camara and Leonardo Fornaroli being the 2 choices to have emerged.
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Racing Bulls can be but to substantiate its full 2027 pairing, as is Alpine, Williams and Cadillac, although it is laborious to see these groups going for any modifications.
– Ed Hardy
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