Red Bull Racing head to Hungary on the back of two victories in three races for Max Verstappen but team boss Christian Horner is expecting a tough weekend against F1 championship leaders Mercedes.
Speaking to Autosport Horner said: “Hungary is a track we enjoy going to. But Mercedes’s slow corner performance is pretty mighty, and I think they’re going to be tough opponents.”
Following the Hungarian Grand Prix F1 will go on its summer break so Mercedes will be aiming to bounce back after their horror show in Germany.
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At their home race last weekend Lewis Hamilton only finished ninth while Valtteri Bottas crashed out.
Despite the disappointment of Hockenheim the Silver Arrows are still 148 points clear of Ferrari in the constructors’ championship while Hamilton leads Bottas at the top of the drivers’ standings.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is looking for an improvement in Hungary. He said: “We had a painful Sunday in Hockenheim. We made mistakes, took the wrong decisions and left Germany with only two points. But we love Formula 1 for the challenges it throws at us as they present an opportunity to improve.
“In recent years, the Hungaroring has been a challenging circuit for us - but we managed to win there last year and there are a number of reasons to believe our car could be more competitive there this year than in recent seasons.”
2019 F1 Hungarian GP race guide
When are the practice sessions?
There are three full practice (FP) sessions in Hungary. On Friday 2 August FP1 takes place from 10am-11.30am and FP2 is from 2pm-3.30pm. FP3 will be from 11am-12pm on Saturday 3 August. All times UK.
When is qualifying?
Qualifying for the F1 Hungarian GP is from 2pm-3pm on Saturday 3 August.
What time does the race start?
The 2019 F1 Hungarian Grand Prix starts at 2.10pm (UK time) on Sunday 4 August.
Hungarian GP predictions
The Stats Zone: Lewis Hamilton
“Hungary is an important race in the calendar, as teams that perform strongly around the Hungaroring heading into F1’s summer break can leave with their heads held high while the losers have an agonising wait until the Belgian GP at the end of August. This technical race should see a close battle between the big three: Hamilton, Verstappen and Vettel but, ultimately, Hamilton bouncing back after his German nightmare and take the chequered flag in Hungary.”
The Daily Telegraph: Lewis Hamilton
“I am not sure this is one for Ferrari, unfortunately for them. Mercedes will probably be the quickest package and Red Bull could be in the mix as well. Lewis Hamilton already holds the record for most wins at this track so it won’t be a surprise to see him claim a seventh. He can’t have a weekend as bad as he did at Hockenheim, surely? Bottas needs a good weekend but I can see him going off the boil a bit under pressure after his dodgy weekend in Germany. Podium prediction: 1st Hamilton 2nd Verstappen 3rd Bottas.”
Bwin: Lewis Hamilton
“Lewis Hamilton had a weekend to forget in Germany but we’re expecting normal service to be resumed this Sunday in our Hungarian Grand Prix predictions. The Briton showed last year how quickly he can recover from disappointing displays and the rest of the drivers will be fearing another backlash at the Hungaroring.”
Louis Shaw, GPBlog.com: second in a row for Max?
“The track is thought to favour Red Bull and Max Verstappen could pick up his second win in a row. The Dutchman is only 22 points behind Bottas and will hope to reduce that even further before the summer break. Mercedes will be desperate to bounce back after a disappointing home Grand Prix in Germany but will be looking at the weather forecast hoping for cool weather. The Silver Arrows have had issues with overheating and will want a cool race so that they can really push the limit.”
Keith Collantine, RaceFans.net: Red Bull rising
“Following Mercedes’ dominant start to the season, Red Bull have now won two of the last three races. Does this signify a breakthrough from the Milton Keynes team or was it a product of circumstances? The likelihood is it’s a bit of both. Mercedes were allergic to Austria’s combination of high temperatures and altitude, and the silver cars ran strongly in Germany until the team were overwhelmed by the craziness of the race. But Red Bull showed an impressive turn of raw pace at Silverstone, too. Mercedes have been very strong on slow corners this year, which points to this being a good weekend for them, but Red Bull’s rising form is real.”
Sky Sports F1 will show live coverage of practice, qualifying and the GP from the Hungaroring. Channel 4 will show highlights of qualifying and the race.
Watch F1 on Now TV
Formula 1 fans can also watch the action live on Now TV. Viewers can subscribe to a Sky Sports Day Pass via Now TV for just £8.99, the most economical way of watching each race.
Sky Sports F1 coverage of the Hungarian GP Friday 2 August
9.45am: practice one build-up
10am: practice one live
1.45pm: practice two build-up
2pm: practice two live
4.30pm: Hungarian GP: Story So Far
Saturday 3 August
10.45am: practice three build-up
11am: practice three
12.10pm: Paddock Walkabout
1pm: qualifying build-up
2pm: Hungarian GP qualifying
3.30pm: The F1 Show
Sunday 4 August
10.30pm: The F1 Show (Sky One)
12.30pm: Pit Lane Live
1.30pm: On The Grid
2.10pm: F1 Hungarian Grand Prix live (simulcast on Sky Sports Main Event)
4pm: Hungarian GP Paddock Live
5.30pm: race highlights
6.30pm: Hungarian GP best bits
7pm: race rerun
Channel 4 coverage of the Hungarian GP
Saturday 3 August: qualifying highlights at 6.30pm
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