I Don't Know What The F@ck I'm Doing

Episode 9 – Hungarian Grand Prix

Attention all Ricciardo Respecters, Leclerc Lovers, and Fernando Fu… never mind… IIIIIIIIITTT’S RACE WEEK!!! Hopefully, I can stay calm enough to write this but these two week breaks just give me no way to get my F1 fix. So, needless to say, I am floored for this weeks Hungarian Grand Prix followed by next week at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps (one of my personal favorites)! I am also DREADING the monthlong summer break beginning after that. Oh well, we are here to talk Hungary – let’s get into it.

Hungaroring | Budapest, Hungary
Sandwiched between two of the fastest circuits of the year (Silverstone and Spa), we journey this weekend to the Star of the Danube – Budapest, Hungary. Coming in as the fourth slowest track (based on an avg. speed of 124mph) on the calendar, the Hungaroring is known for its difficult overtaking and its tight corners. Sometimes called “Monaco without barriers” this twisty, technical track is sure to present a challenge to the drivers.

–– Notes For the Weekend ––
- Although this region is quite dry for most of the year, the forecast predicts rain both Friday (70%) and Saturday (60%) which could shake things up in quali.

- As I mentioned, the Hungaroring is a highly technical track with few opportunities to overtake. This makes a good qualifying result crucial to teams hoping for points or a podium this weekend. Further impacting the qualifying session are new rules being tested by Formula 1 in conjunction with Pirelli. Drivers will be forced to use a different tire compound for each session. Hards will be used in Q1, mediums in Q2, and softs in Q1. The test will be abandoned in favor of inters or full-wets in the event of rain.

–– Stories to Watch ––
As alluded to in my first sentence, we are witnessing the return of a near-mythical creature… The Honey Badger. After departing McLaren last season and serving as Red Bull’s third for the beginning of this year, Daniel Ricciardo has found his way back to the grid! Taking the spot of Nyck de Vries, Daniel will drive for AlphaTauri for the remainder of the season. Personally, I hope he can coax some pace out of that tractor he has to drive because I believe this is likely his last shot in the pinnacle of motorsport.

Public enemy #1, also known as Red Bull Racing, is set to unveil an upgrade package at the Hungaroring. According to a RBR employee, the upgrades will visually impact the sidepods and will be aesthetically pleasing as well as functional. Apparently, they feel the need to gain maximum style points as well as championship points. Kidding aside, this upgrade package begs the question – will Red Bull ever lose again? Or, alternatively worded like the sad Tifosi I am, will Ferrari ever win again?

There is somewhat of a diamond in the rough (maybe wishful thinking) hidden at the bottom of the standings. Williams Racing has shown flashes of something resembling race pace, especially around the high-speed circuits. After finishing in the points in two out of the last three races, they will look to break their points gridlock with Haas and pull ahead in their battle for seventh.

An incredibly surprising finisher at the Silverstone Grand Prix was McLaren. Their car has brought pace reminiscent of an electric scooter to most of the races this year. Imagine my surprise when their upgrades kicked into gear and bought them a P2 and P3 finish! This result was so unexpected that other teams have commented on their step forward, calling it “unusual”. Whether or not they can keep up momentum and challenge Ferrari for their current Best of the Rest (P4 in the Constructors Championship) remains to be seen. I, for one, would welcome the excitement!

That’s all I’ve got for this week’s episode. Let me know who you want to see on the podium this weekend!

Much Love.