Antonelli’s victory in Belgium reinforced Mercedes’ strength, while Ferrari, Red Bull, and Audi arrive in Budapest with different reasons to believe in a good result.
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Formula 1 lands in Budapest for the 11th round of the 2026 season just days after a busy Belgian GP. With the summer break approaching, the weekend at the Hungaroring represents the last opportunity for drivers and teams to consolidate a positive run before the championship interruption.
Kimi Antonelli appears as the most in-form name on the grid. The Italian won at Spa-Francorchamps after overcoming Charles Leclerc in a strategic race and extended Mercedes’ strong phase. The result reinforced not only his protagonist status in the title fight but also the team’s ability to be competitive on circuits with different characteristics.
In Hungary, however, Antonelli will face a completely different challenge. If Spa demands high-speed efficiency and good performance on long straights, the Hungaroring rewards downforce, cornering stability, and precision throughout a practically relentless lap. A new victory would show that Mercedes and the driver have a complete package for any type of track.
Ferrari also arrives strengthened. Charles Leclerc finished second in Belgium and even led part of the race before being overtaken by Antonelli. Even without the victory, the Scuderia showed pace to challenge Mercedes and confirmed that its growth throughout the season was not restricted to Lewis Hamilton’s triumph in Barcelona.
Hamilton completed the Belgian race in fourth, despite the penalty received after contact with George Russell on the first lap. The Briton now returns to a circuit where he traditionally performs strongly and where his experience can make a difference. Ferrari’s recent form places the team among the main contenders for the podium in Budapest.
Red Bull is in a more difficult situation to interpret. Max Verstappen returned to the podium by finishing third at Spa, but crossed the finish line about ten seconds behind the battle between Antonelli and Leclerc. The result was positive, especially after some complicated weekends, but it still made it clear that the Austrian team needs to find performance to keep up with Mercedes and Ferrari throughout the race.
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For Verstappen, Hungary emerges as an opportunity to show that the podium in Belgium represented the start of a comeback. The Hungaroring will demand a balanced and predictable car, especially in the central section of the lap, where a sequence of corners makes any setup deficiency particularly costly.
Further back, Gabriel Bortoleto and Audi also arrive in Budapest in good form. The Brazilian finished the Belgian GP in eighth position after resisting pressure from Arvid Lindblad in the final laps. The result confirmed his evolution and secured important points for the German team.
Audi still doesn’t have the performance to regularly compete with the front-running teams, but it is consolidating its position in the midfield. Bortoleto’s ability to seize opportunities and manage races under pressure makes the Brazilian one of the drivers to watch at the Hungaroring, especially in a round where qualifying and strategy can completely alter the competitive order.
McLaren, in turn, arrives in Hungary needing to regain prominence. The team has already shown speed throughout the season but faces increasingly strong competition from Mercedes, Ferrari, and Red Bull. On a track where cornering performance is often decisive, the weekend could offer a good opportunity for Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri to return to contention for the top positions.
Given recent form, Antonelli and Mercedes appear as the main references before the start of activities. Ferrari and Leclerc, however, left Spa demonstrating that they can challenge the leaders, while Verstappen tries to convert his return to the podium into a more consistent comeback.
The Hungarian GP will be contested under very different conditions from those found in Belgium. Therefore, more than confirming who arrives in good form, the Hungaroring will help show which teams truly have the performance to remain in contention on any type of circuit.
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