The 2018 F1 season is the gift that keeps on giving, and we here at Karting Nation certainly aren’t complaining! Both Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel continued their battle at the top in the last event, with Hamilton the one to emerge victorious in last week’s German Grand Prix – earning himself a points advantage of +17.
The Mercedes driver now stands on 188 points, which is quite impressive considering the amount of issues he and his team have been having this year. Sebastian Vettel currently lies in second position in the Driver’s Championship, with a total of 171 points. He was previously enjoying 1st place in the table. However, an accident in last week’s race meant that he was forced to retire from the race, and ultimately, he missed out on the chance to increase his lead further.
With the drivers heading to Hungary this week ahead of the summer break, read on as we look at what’s in store for F1 fans in our preview of the 2018 Hungarian Grand Prix.
What Time Does The Hungarian Grand Prix Start?
Hungary has a time difference of +1 hour when compared to UK time. So, you can expect the main event to commence at 14:10 BST, or 15:10 local time. The first practice round kicks off tomorrow morning at 10:00 BST (11:00 local time), followed by qualifying on Saturday 28th July at 14:00 BST (15:00 local time).
History of the Hungarian Grand Prix
Taking place at the Hungaroring circuit in Mogyoród, Hungary, the Hungarian Grand Prix is an event which has been part of the F1 calendar since 1986. However, the event actually dates back to 1936 in which the first ever Hungarian Grand Prix took place at Népliget. Between the years of 1937 and 1985, the event did not take place at all – this was down to political issues and an ensuing war.
The Hungaroring has a circuit length of 4.381km (2.722mi), which equates to a total distance of 306.663km (190.560mi) over a 70 lap race. In terms of overall wins on this particular circuit, it’s Lewis Hamilton who is the most successful driver, with 5 wins to his name in Hungary. Legendary German driver Michael Schumacher was able to win four times in this event, with Ayrton Senna emerging the victor on three occasions too.
Who Won The 2017 Hungarian Grand Prix?
The 2017 Hungarian Grand Prix was won by none other than current Ferrari racer Sebastian Vettel – with the German retaining his pole position to storm to victory with a time of 1:39:46.713, followed by his teammate Kimi Räikkönen who finished with a time of +0.908, and Valtteri Bottas who finished in third place with a time of +12.462.
Who Is Likely To Win The 2018 Hungarian Grand Prix?
It really has been a mixed bag for Lewis Hamilton this F1 season. He might currently be enjoying a 17 point lead at the top of the Driver’s Championship. But, he and his Mercedes backroom staff have had to contend with several issues along the way. Consequently, this has resulted in several underwhelming performances in certain races this year, with Ferrari racer Sebastian Vettel being the one to claim the bragging rights.
Hamilton’s Mercedes team have been exceptionally reliable over the past few years. However, this season hasn’t been the greatest for them – with technical errors blighting the team’s efforts to help their star driver storm to his fifth F1 title.
As a result of Mercedes’ problems, Lewis Hamilton has fallen down the rankings into second place on more than one occasion – with his fierce rival Sebastian Vettel doing all he can to remain in contention for a title win. However, last week’s race saw Lewis Hamilton storm to his fourth win of the season so far – earning a 17 point lead over his German rival in the process.
There seems to be a back and forth between Hamilton and Vettel this season, which each driver alternating between 1st and 2nd positions week after week. But, if Hamilton can manage to push past the issues which have often held him back, then he might just be able to further increase his lead in this year’s Hungarian Grand Prix.
Considering Hamilton is the driver to have won the most times in this particular event, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him earn victory once more this time around. In spite of this, it would be foolish to rule out Vettel, as the German racer was able to win the 2017 Hungarian Grand Prix event, as well as in 2015.
Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo is also amongst the previous race winners in the Hungarian Grand Prix – emerging victorious in the 2014 edition. So, a podium finish for the Australian certainly wouldn’t be surprising.
Final Thoughts
The 2018 Hungarian Grand Prix is something we’re really looking forward to, and we’re sure all you fellow racing fans are too! But, unfortunately, the next race after this one won’t be until 26th August, where the racers will be heading to Belgium.
To make sure you don’t miss out on the epic racing action this weekend, tune in for the main event this Sunday, 29th July at 14:10 BST. Or, if you can’t wait until then, there’s always the practice sessions tomorrow, and qualifying on Saturday 28th July!
In the meantime, why not get in touch with your inner racing champion? You can do just that at any one of our circuits throughout the UK and Ireland! Head on over to our main website now to find out more.