F1’s new owners will have surely been impressed by the Formula 1 experience served up by Silverstone’s huge crowd and if that was the case, they will certainly land back on planet earth with a thump when visiting the Hungaroring this weekend.
The race at the Hungaroring has been a constant uninterrupted feature on the fixture list since its debut in 1986, it was Formula One's first incursion into Eastern Europe and behind what was then the 'Iron Curtain'.
The trouble is, the venue is now very dated and the circuit is archaic. Only Singapore and Monaco offer a sterner challenge in regards to finding an overtaking opportunity. In fact, there was not a single on-track overtake during the 2012 race giving references to “Monaco without the walls” some real weight.
However, good old Uncle Bernie [Ecclestone] before his departure signed a contract with the Hungarian race organisers meaning the event will be staged up to and including 2021 at the very least.
Every cloud has a silver lining though and this narrow non-walled circuit certainly offers up some variety and the prospect of someone other than Hamilton, Vettel or Bottas prevailing is an exciting prospect.
Variety is a great selling point of Formula 1, our stateside friends see no harm in cars racing around oval circuits which are all but identical and serve up a monotonous spectacle. Likewise, there are no two horseracing tracks in the UK or Ireland that are unduly alike. Once again, featureless oval tracks rule the roost in North America.
I digress. Who is likely to prevail this weekend you may wonder? The latest bookmaker odds suggest a Hamilton victory is more than 50 percent likely. But given the similarities with Monaco and remembering the Brits difficulties there – he finished seventh after qualifying fourteenth – can this be right?
Traditionally high-downforce circuits like this have been the domain of the Red Bulls but they have struggled to match Ferrari or Mercedes on pace at any venue this season. The Milton Keynes team are due to bring engine upgrades to this race but Daniel Ricciardo has been playing down their likely worth when talking to the press.
Kimi Raikkonen has the car, if not the recent form, to place a hand on the winner’s trophy. The Finn who has been outpaced by his teammate, Sebastian Vettel, for over two seasons, looks set to be released by Ferrari at the end of the year. However, there have been media reports that Vettel is insisting Raikkonen remains his teammate for next season and his signature on a contract for 2018 and beyond depends on it.
Raikkonen could help these negotiations along with a strong performance this weekend and it’s not impossible he could deliver just that. Pole setter in Monaco, fastest lap setter in this race last year and a Hungarian GP race winner way back in 2005, the 37-year-old has an excellent record around this ‘bullring’ claiming an additional six podiums during his career.
But the real eye-catcher on Sunday could be Fernando Alonso in a McLaren which will love it around this aero-dependant circuit. The MCL32 will not be so heavily handicapped by the missing horsepower from within its Honda engine and the Spaniard took a bundle of penalties in Silverstone to ensure almost every component on his car will be fresh out of the box.
