Will the Hungarian Grand Prix produce a half-time twist in the title fight? Here are the talking points for this weekend’s race.
Russell needs to rebound
This weekend’s round marks the halfway point in the season. Unless any of the cancelled races get reinstated, in which case it’s nearly the halfway point. Or perhaps America’s misadventures in the Middle East will lead to more rounds being cancelled, in which case the halfway point has passed already.
Regardless, as Murray Walker might have put it, with possibly half the season gone there might still be half of it left to run. And however many races are left, the gap Andrea Kimi Antonelli opened up over his rivals last weekend means he will go into the summer break at the top of the standings whatever happens.
George Russell’s recent progress evaporated when he made his do-or-die lunge into Les Combes last weekend. His deep frustration at his car’s lack of straight-line speed was a clear contributory factor. That might matter less at the twisty Hungaroring but the question remains whether Mercedes are actually able to supply their drivers with equal equipment at the moment. Perhaps more pressingly, given the impenetrably complex operation of F1’s current power units, can anyone even tell?
Drivers’ discontent rising
Back-to-back races at two of F1’s greatest circuits highlighted the deficiencies of the 2026 power units in the most brutal way. The cars looked tame around Silverstone and Spa, seldom pushing the limits of adhesion, visibly strangled by their lack of power.
Again, the nature of the Hungaroring and the circuits which follow should make their shortcomings less obvious. But the criticism from drivers – particularly those who feel freest to speak their minds – is only getting more strident. Even Oscar Piastri, seldom one to rock the boat, pithily and accurately summarised the state of F1 racing in 2026 as “crap”.
Ferrari fancy their chances
Having moved on from the ultra-high-speed sweeps of Spa, Ferrari reckons the Hungaroring is a circuit which should play to the strengths of the SF-26. It certainly plays to the strengths of Lewis Hamilton, who is looking for his ninth win at the Hungaroring.
Verstappen’s future
As usual, Max Verstappen was quick to shut down any talk over his possible future moves last weekend. But the summer break starts on Monday and, like last year, there is speculation he can escape his Red Bull contract if he isn’t in the top championship places. Whatever happens this weekend, he will head home no higher than fifth.
A Verstappen move would have a seismic effect on the driver market. While he may testily dismiss any suggestions he could head elsewhere, plenty of his rivals will be on alert for any indication he could break from Red Bull.
Aston Martin’s season starts here?
The team many tipped to be dark horses for 2026 have had an unspeakably poor season so far following the dire trouble it had with its Honda power unit in the opening months. At Spa, the quickest Aston Martin was over two seconds slower than anything else.
Finally, with just one race left before the summer break, the team is readying its first significant upgrade. Expectations are, naturally, high. But even picking up a second or more wouldn’t be enough to propel them past Q1. How much better could life realistically get for Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll this weekend?
Are you going to the Hungarian Grand Prix?
If you’re heading to Hungary for this weekend’s race, we want to hear from you:
Who do you think will be the team to beat in the Hungarian Grand Prix? Have your say below.
Miss nothing from RaceFans
Get a daily email with all our latest stories – and nothing else. No marketing, no ads. Sign up here: