Ferrari targets 1-2 finish as storm clouds gather: what to watch for at the 2022 Hungarian GP

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Rain looks set to add another challenge to the tricky but popular Hungaroring, as Ferrari aims to hit back at Red Bull in the 2022 Hungarian Grand Prix, and Haas tests its upgrade

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Max Verstappen (Red Bull-Honda) leads the field on the warm-up / parade lap before the 2019 Hungarian Grand Prix at the Hungaroring outside Budapest. Photo: Grand Prix Photo

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As four-time Red Bull champion Sebastian Vettel announces his retirement, Max Verstappen is a step closer towards a second world title for the team after victory at the French Grand Prix extended his championship lead to 63 points.

Whether he now processes to the crown, or still has to fight for it, very much depends on. what Ferrari does next.

Team boss Mattia Binotto has said it must achieve no less than a one-two in Hungary as the Scuderia also attempts to close its 82 point deficit to Red Bull in the constructors’ championship.

Its success or failure in this final race before the summer break, will shape the rest of the season. Here’s what to watch out for at the 2022 Hungarian GP.

 

Hungaroring the ideal springboard for Ferrari

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Despite having eight poles to Red Bull’s four this season, Ferrari continue to throw away points on a Sunday

What looked to be a close title fight at the start of the year — with two wins apiece in the opening four races — has turned into a huge lead for Verstappen past the halfway point of the season.

Binotto says that the team continues to learn and improve, but that has often been Ferrari’s downfall; it has not been as assured as its rivals.

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“It’s step by step; we are progressing and becoming better,” said Binotto after the French Grand Prix. “Once again today we have proved to our drivers, we have a fast car and a competitive one.

“We need to turn the page and look to Hungary and do a one-two there, so we simply focus on the next result.”

The twisty Budapest circuit could have been designed with the Ferrari in mind; its 14 turns should suit the car, which excels in the high downforce areas.

Ferrari needs both its cars to shine to take points from Red Bull. Even if Leclerc wins every race from now until the end of the season, Verstappen could follow him home in second and — with the help of fastest lap and sprint race points — still be crowned champion.

 

Esteban Ocon returns to site of 2021 win

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How has Ocon progressed since his victory?

Behind the top three teams, the battle for fourth rages between Alpine and McLaren; the French team arriving in Hungary with an advantage of just four points.

The teams are likely to be closely matched again on the tight corners of the Hungaroring, but there’s something about the circuit that suits Alpine and its drivers.

Last year’s eventful Hungarian GP brought Esteban Ocon a maiden grand prix victory, thanks to the Valtteri Bottas-initiated pandemonium at the start, and some inspired defending by Alonso.

Going back several more years, it was also where Fernando Alonso recorded his first-ever Formula 1 win.

Any hopes of a repeat victory would rely on a freak set of events; more pragmatically, Alpine will be looking to reverse its form in qualifying where McLaren has generally had the edge. Alonso admitted its gap to the Woking team in qualifying is a “bit worrying.”

Alpine often has the advantage in the race, but track position is key at the Hungaroring, as Alonso showed last year.

 

Upgrades at Haas, but only for one of its drivers 

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Despite others upgrading, Haas has been running a virtually unchanged car all season

Nine teams brought upgrades to the French GP, with only Haas soldiering on with its previous spec, after its development programme was held up by Mick Schumacher’s crashes in Jeddah and Monaco.

The upgrade has arrived this weekend, but will only be fitted to the car of Haas’s leading points scorer, Kevin Magnussen.

“In the end, we couldn’t get two car kits to the race track, so with Kevin being in front in the championship we gave him the package to try,” said team principal Guenther Steiner.

The hope is that it will boost an already-competitive car. Qualifying performance in France was strong, even if that wasn’t reflected in the results. Magnussen got into Q3 – but started from the back due to an engine penalty – while Schumacher’s Q1 exit was down to his best lap time being deleted due to track limits. Both drivers then collided with rivals which impacted their race

Steiner is still optimistic about Haas’s potential if it can get the setup right. “We know now where the car can be if we do a good job and I think in France we did a good job,” said Steiner.

“I think we had a very good strategy, also looking back at it now, and we knew that would give us our best chance at getting into the points but unfortunately the safety car came out at the most inconvenient time for both cars so from then on it was downhill.

“What we can take away is that if we can get the car in the right spot setup wise, we can compete at the top of the midfield.”

So it will be worth keeping one eye on Haas to see how the package compares against the old one, and if it can close the gap to the teams leading the midfield.

 

Which talent will tame the Hungaroring?

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The Hungaroring’s most successful driver with eight victories

The twisty Hungaroring makes life difficult for even the best drivers on the planet — and they love it.

Whether it’s the challenge of perfecting the technical sections, or the exhilaration of the fast direction changes, drivers have been queuing up to praise the circuit.

“The Hungaroring is very difficult to master,” said Verstappen. “It begins with very hard braking into Turn 1 before an off camber Turn 2 which tries to push you off from the inside.

“It is an important circuit to be precise in order to be online for the next corner. Turn 4 is almost blind so you need to be cautious and build up throughout the weekend. Sector 2 is pretty narrow and twisty so you need to take extra care here. Turn 11, the fast right hander is probably my favourite corner on the track, when you get it right it is a nice feeling.

Daniel Ricciardo believes the middle sector is one of the best corner sequences on the calendar, and Alonso has praised its fun, challenging nature.

On any weekend, it’s a stage for the most talented to shine, and that’s even more likely to be the case this weekend, with thunderstorms forecast on Saturday, and a further (lesser) chance of rain on Sunday.

Who will prevail? Watching them slither it out should be unmissable.

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