F1 arrives in Budapest, Hungary for the front end of a back-to-back this weekend ahead of its normal summer break. An eight-race winner will return to the grid, a new qualifying format is being tested and, as will be the case for the rest of the season, Max Verstappen comes in as the hot favourite.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Hungarian Grand Prix:
Hungarian Grand Prix TV/Streaming Schedule
all eastern times
Friday
7:25 am – 8:30 am: Free Practice 1 (ESPN2, F1 TV Pro)
10:55 am – Noon: Free Practice 2 (ESPN2, F1 TV Pro)
Saturday
6:25 am – 7:30 am: Free Practice 3 (ESPN2, F1 TV Pro)
9:55 am – 11 am: Qualifying (ESPN, F1 TV Pro)
Sunday
7:30 am – 8:55 am: Pre-Race Show (ESPN)
8:55 am – 11 am: Hungarian Grand Prix (ESPN, F1 TV Pro)
How to watch the Hungarian Grand Prix:
Russell and Leclerc lead in Friday practice
George Russell set the fastest time in FP1 on the Intermediate tire as the rain started to fall with a 1:38.795. Seven drivers chose not to set a fast lap in the deteriorating conditions, including the two-time world champion. Verstappen’s Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez brought out a red flag when he dipped a tire in the grass and slid into the barriers.
Conditions were much better later on Friday afternoon outside Budapest, with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc clocking a 1’17.686 to top the FP2 timesheets. McLaren’s Lando Norris continued his recent strong form as he set a lap. 0.015s behind Leclerc. Pierre Gasly was third fastest with 1m17s918.
Details of the Hungarian Grand Prix
To accompany: Hungaroring (Budapest, Hungary), 14-lap, 2.72-mile permanent racing facility
Run length: 70 laps for 190 miles
Back record: 1:16.627 (Lewis Hamilton, 2020)
Tire compounds: C3 (strong), C4 (medium), C5 (soft)
Last year’s winner: Max Verstappen
Daniel Ricciardo returns to F1
A familiar, smiling face returns to the grid this weekend as third place finisher from the 2014 world championship and Netflix darling Daniel Ricciardo replaces AlphaTauri rookie Nyck de Vries. Ricciardo previously competed for the team in 2012 and 2013 – when it was known as Red Bull Toro Rosso – before being promoted to parent team Red Bull.
In 2014, he stunned four-time champion Sebastian Vettel, outscoring Vettel by 71 points and winning three races against Vettel. After a tumultuous run alongside Verstappen at Red Bull, Ricciardo had disappointing spells at Renault (2019-2020) and McLaren (2021-2022) and was not offered a full-time drive for 2023.
Qualification format adjustment
F1 and Pirelli are trying to turn around qualifying sessions this weekend in an effort to improve sustainability. Instead of being allocated 13 sets of tires for the weekend, teams will only be allocated 11 and must use the hard tire with white stripes in Q1, the medium tire with yellow stripes in Q2 and the soft tire with red stripes in Q3, assuming no rain (more on that later). Previously, teams were free to choose any tire in any session. This format was due to debut at Imola in May before the race was canceled by catastrophic flooding in northern Italy.
Top drivers and best bets for the Hungarian Grand Prix
It’s Verstappen’s world and the rest of the grid just inhabit it at their benevolent whim. The two-time world champion is on his way to a three-in-a-row and goes into the weekend a heavy favorite with a -350 moneyline on BetMGM.
Best odds of winning
Max Verstappen-350
Sergio Perez +1100
Lewis Hamilton +1400
Fernando Alonso +1400
Yahoo Sports’ Nick Bromberg wrote earlier in the week about how this week – and every subsequent grand prix – is essentially a race for second place. As well as backing Verstappen to win pole and the race, Bromberg recommends backing Lewis Hamilton to finish on the podium and Esteban Ocon to finish in the top 10. Hamilton has eight poles and eight wins at the Hungaroring, while Ocon’s only F1 victory came at the track in 2021.
F1 Drivers’ World Championship Standings
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Max Verstappen, Red Bull – 255
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Sergio Perez, Red Bull – 156
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Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin – 137
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Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-121
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Carlos Sainz, Ferrari – 83
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George Russell, Mercedes – 82
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Charles Leclerc, Ferrari – 74
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Lance Stroll, Aston Martin – 44
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Lando Norris, McLaren – 42
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Esteban Ocon, Alpine – 31
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Oscar Piastri, McLaren – 17
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Pierre Gasly, Alpine – 16
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Alexander Albon, Williams – 11
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Nico Hülkenberg, Haas – 9
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Valtteri Bottas, Alfa Romeo – 5
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Zhou Guanyu, Alfa Romeo – 4
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Yuki Tsunoda, AlphaTauri – 2
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Kevin Magnussen, Haas – 2nd
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Logan Sergeant, Williams – 0
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Daniel Ricciardo, AlphaTauri – 0
Hungarian Grand Prix entry list
Max Verstappen (1), Red Bull-Honda RBPT
Sergio Perez (11), Red Bull-Honda RBPT
Charles Leclerc (16), Ferrari
Carlos Sainz (55), Ferrari
Lewis Hamilton (44), Mercedes
George Russell (63), Mercedes
Pierre Gasly (10), Alpine-Renault
Esteban Ocon (31), Alpine-Renault
Lando Norris (4), McLaren-Mercedes
Oscar Piastri (81), McLaren-Mercedes
Zhou Guanyu (24), Alfa Romeo-Ferrari
Valtteri Bottas (77), Alfa Romeo-Ferrari
Fernando Alonso (14), Aston Martin-Mercedes
Lance Stroll (18), Aston Martin-Mercedes
Kevin Magnussen (20), Haas-Ferrari
Nico Hülkenberg, (27), Haas-Ferrari
Daniel Ricciardo (3), AlphaTauri-Honda RBPT
Yuki Tsunoda (22), AlphaTauri-Honda RBPT
Logan Sergeant (2), Williams-Mercedes
Alexander Albon (23), Williams-Mercedes
Time for the Hungarian Grand Prix
The forecast calls for temperatures in the mid-80s throughout the weekend and thunderstorms on Friday and Saturday. No rain is forecast for Sunday’s race.
How to watch F1 for free in 2023:
(Photo: ExpressVPN)
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