Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc appear as the main candidates for victory in the Formula 1 Hungarian GP. The race will also test Kimi Antonelli’s leadership, Aston Martin’s new car, and the impact of the heat at the Hungaroring.
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Norris secured the first pole position of the season for a non-Mercedes driver and is trying to end a winless start to the championship on Sundays. McLaren showed progress with its latest package, while Leclerc gained the front row after Lewis Hamilton’s penalty, keeping Ferrari directly in contention.
Antonelli will start seventh, behind Hamilton and George Russell, in a scenario that may lead him to manage risks. The Italian won in Belgium, but saw his advantage drop after two non-scoring races in three rounds. Mercedes showed strong pace in race simulations, although Russell admitted that setup changes may have favored the fast lap at the expense of long-stint performance.
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The start will be another decisive point. The distance to turn 1 is close to half a kilometer, which favors slipstreaming, good starts, and aggressive braking duels. On a circuit where overtaking is usually difficult, any position gained in the first few meters can have an even greater impact on the final result.
Aston Martin will have its first real race test with the extensively revised car. Fernando Alonso advanced to Q2 and will start 16th, while Lance Stroll missed FP2 due to a suspension issue. With temperatures expected up to 32°C, teams will also have to react to different wear levels than those seen on Friday, in addition to monitoring a 15% chance of rain later on Sunday.
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