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The 2023 F1 Hungarian GP could not come at a better time. So much has happened in just a week that it has been a bit tough to keep up with. We have Nyck de Vries out of F1 and Daniel Ricciardo returning to the sport.
In all of this, the championship leader and the sport's benchmark, Red Bull, continue to cruise to the title in the foreground. In the background, the team has already started work on the 2024 F1 challenger.
Heading into the 2023 F1 Hungarian GP, what can we expect? Let's find out in our preview for the race weekend.
2023 F1 Hungarian GP: Preview
Key Storylines
#1 Daniel Ricciardo
Daniel Ricciardo impressed on track and he has impressed in the simulator as well. Having said that, he is yet to impress in a Grand Prix setting. The 2023 F1 Hungarian GP will be the first race for the Australian and rest assured all eyes will be on him.
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Coming back to F1 and hoping to impress in arguably the worst car on the grid is not easy. This was a task at which Nyck de Vries failed and arguably both the car and Yuki Tsunoda's brilliance played a role.
For his first weekend back, not much would be expected from Daniel but if he is too far off his Japanese teammate then that's not the first impression he would want to make.
All in all, Ricciardo will have all eyes on him as he tries to get back to that elusive top seat in a fast car.
#2 Red Bull and McLaren upgrades
The recent announcement of Red Bull bringing in upgrades was something that would have dismayed a lot of its rivals. The fact that the team is still bringing upgrades on its already unstoppable challenger is an ominous sign and it needs to be seen how further ahead it puts the car in comparison to the competition.
On the other hand, everyone will be curious to see what the rest of the three-part McLaren upgrade does to the car. Can Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri continue their form or will they hit a roadblock?
It will be curious to see how the Woking-based squad fares during the 2023 F1 Hungarian GP weekend.
#3 The faltering trio of the frontrunner
Mercedes has had its moments this season, and so have Ferrari and Aston Martin. In the last few races though, McLaren seems to have usurped the trio. The new upgrade package seems to have been a major turnaround as the Woking-based squad continues to talk a big game.
There's still however one major question mark over all of this as track characteristics could have ideally played a role. The track in Hungary should ideally suit these three cars. Does it continue to suit McLaren? If it does, how does it compare against Mercedes, Aston Martin, and Ferrari? It will be worth keeping an eye on.
Form guide
In form
If there is one team that is in red-hot form right now, it is McLaren. The team has had two very impressive races and almost swatted away the challenge of Alpine in the last couple of races.
The race in Hungary is crucial to solidify where the team finds itself in the pecking order
Out of Form
Aston Martin's run of the last four races has been a bit strange. It almost appears as if the team is struggling when it comes to in-season development and rivals are catching up! The race in Hungary will feature track characteristics where the car excels.
A podium should be the target but after the kind of run that the team has had in the last few races, it's tough to predict how it performs.
2023 F1 Hungarian GP: Predictions
Who wins the race?
An upgraded Red Bull in the hands of Max Verstappen is a potent weapon. To add to this, the driver has not been distracted in any which way and has continued to perform at a very consistent level.
It is interesting to see if there are cars that could potentially challenge Max but for now, it just seems illogical to go for anyone but him as the favorite to win the 2023 F1 Hungarian GP.
The surprise of the weekend (Team)
There are a few question marks around McLaren as we head to the 2023 F1 Hungarian GP. The team has struggled in the slow speed section of tracks and the Hungaroring has plenty of them. Because of that, there are quite a few that are still holding on to their horses when it comes to predicting an overall McLaren turnaround.
In all of this though, one thing that is somewhat forgotten is the all-rounded nature of Silverstone. The first sector and the third sector have quite a few slow-speed sections and McLaren was not really losing much time in those sections during the race.
For the 2023 F1 Hungarian GP, while there are detractors that feel McLaren might struggle, we're backing the Woking-based squad to stay competitive and become a part of the lead group.
The surprise of the weekend (Driver)
Oscar Piastri has been a winner all his career. He won three different championships in consecutive years en route to F1 and that mentality does not go away. At the 2023 F1 Hungarian GP, the driver would be coming to the race weekend both content and frustrated after the weekend in Silverstone.
He will be feeling content because he put together his best result during that weekend but he will be a bit frustrated because he lost out on a podium due to the safety car timing. While Norris got the accolades for a P2 finish, Oscar seemed content with his P4 as well.
Having said that, the winner that Oscar is, he will not be looking to play the supporting cast to Norris at McLaren. We're backing the Australian to take the fight to his teammate at the 2023 F1 Hungarian GP and get the better of him.
Disappointment of the weekend (Team)
Williams had an epic run with that special livery in Silverstone. The team did a very impressive job and was able to almost get two cars in the points. Coming to the 2023 F1 Hungarian GP, the team would be buoyed by the result it achieved. At the same time though, the reality can be harsh sometimes.
While the track at Silverstone played to the team's strengths, the Hungaroring is the complete opposite. It's a downforce extensive track and this does not bode well for a car like Williams. The 2023 F1 Hungarian GP might not prove to be the best of weekends for the team.
Disappointment of the weekend (Driver)
With Aston Martin's early season form starting to taper, the gap between Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll is going to hurt the team even more. More than that. it's going to raise questions about Lance's position within the team.
The Canadian driver can have one good weekend where he surprises everyone but other than that, he continues to struggle especially with a relentless benchmark in Fernando Alonso in the other car.
With every other team in the top five having arguably drivers of better quality, Stroll continues to get exposed and unfortunately, the 2023 F1 Hungarian GP is going to be no different.
