Rev Up for the 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix: Key Insights You Need

The 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix will be the 14th race of the Formula 1 season and will be the last race before the summer break.

We arrive in Hungary with lots of certainty. McLaren seems untouchable in every condition right now. It seems like championship-leader Oscar Piastri (266 points) and second-placed Lando Norris (250 points) will fight for almost every win from here until the end of the year.

Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull are in that order behind McLaren in the World Constructors' Championship. Ferrari has been arguably the second-best over the last three races, but far from McLaren. Meanwhile, Mercedes is immersed in a negative string of results since George Russell's win in Canada, with rookie Kimi Antonelli under pressure as well.

Max Verstappen started a new era for Red Bull with a Sprint win at Spa, but could only manage P4 after a race-long battle with Ferrari's Charles Leclerc. The Dutchman remains third in the World Drivers' Championship, but is 81 points behind championship-leader Piastri.

To fight against the McLaren drivers, Verstappen will need a big run of results, starting from Budapest.

2025 Hungarian GP Facts & Figures

HUNGARORING, HUNGARY - JULY 18: Circuit detail of the pit straight, including Pirelli bridge during the Hungarian GP at Hungaroring on Thursday July 18, 2024 in Budapest, Hungary. (Photo by Zak Mauger / LAT Images)

The 2025 edition of the Hungarian Grand Prix will be the 40th F1 race in Hungary.

The first Hungarian Grand Prix was held in 1936 at Népiglet. The race was part of the Grand Prix season (European Championship) and was won by Tazio Nuvolari behind the wheel of an Alfa Romeo. The 2023 edition will be the 38th Hungarian Grand Prix as part of the Formula 1 World Championship.

The first Formula One World Championship race in Hungary took place on 10 August 1986 and was won by Brazilian Nelson Piquet after an amazing overtake on pole-sitter Ayrton Senna and his Lotus 98T. It was the first Formula 1 race held behind the Iron Curtain.

The inaugural Hungarian Grand Prix was Alain Prost's 100th Grand Prix, but the four-time F1 champion couldn't finish that race.

In Hungary, World Champions Damon Hill, Fernando Alonso, and Jenson Button achieved their maiden Formula 1 victories in 1993, 2003, and 2006, respectively. Most recently, Heikki Kovalainen took his first Grand Prix win in 2008, Esteban Ocon became a Grand Prix winner in 2021 and current championship leader Oscar Piastri did the same in 2024.

The event also saw two drivers clinch titles. Nigel Mansell sealed his only championship in 1992 with a second place, while Michael Schumacher did it in 2001 by taking his 51st Formula 1 victory (tying the then-all-time win record held by Prost) and winning his fourth title.

Sir Lewis Hamilton is the most successful driver in Hungary, with eight victories. The seven-time champion won the race three times with McLaren (2007, 2009 and 2012) and five with Mercedes (2013, 2016, 2018, 2019, and 2020). In 2013, Hamilton achieved the first of his 84 wins with Mercedes in Hungary and is the most recent pole-sitter at the place.

Michael Schumacher ranks second in the wins tally with four, one with Benetton in 1994 and three with Ferrari (1998, 2001, and 2004).

Apart from Hamilton, Fernando Alonso (2003), Esteban Ocon (2021), Max Verstappen (2022, 2023) and Piastri are the other active drivers with wins in the Hungaroring.

Among teams, McLaren leads the ranking with 12 victories, followed by Williams and Ferrari with seven each.

Mercedes' engines have won 14 races in Hungary, followed by Renault (nine) and Ferrari (seven).

Hungaroring

BUDAPEST, HUNGARY - JULY 18: Alexander Albon of Thailand driving the (23) Aston Martin Red Bull Racing RB16 on track during qualifying for the F1 Grand Prix of Hungary at Hungaroring on July 18, 2020 in Budapest, Hungary. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool // AP-24NV476DS1W11 // Usage for editorial use only //

Though the 14-corner 4.381-meter circuit has been criticised for some races with a small number of overtakes, the venue has given F1 fans some fantastic racing, especially when the weather has been mixed, as in 2006, 2014 and 2021.

Downforce is essential at this circuit and track position represents a big part of a significant result on Sunday. Of course, Max Verstappen and Red Bull threw that theory out of the window in 2022, with the Dutchman winning from ninth place, but it still applies.

The strategy is also essential. While some races have given us similar strategies among the front runners, we have seen in 1998 and 2019 race-winning performances with a pit strategy different from the other front runners.

Turn 1 is the main overtaking spot on this track. However, Turn 2 offers chances for good battles, since drivers can take different lines to make a successful move. Turn 4 has also been a place to overtake, although it is quite risky. In conclusion, the first sector of the Hungaroring is the place where a move can be made when battling for position, while Sectors 2 and 3 are tricky sections that have been rough to go through while following a car.

The circuit has had three different configurations since its inauguration in 1986. First, the track had a 4.014 km layout with 16 corners, but it had an 'S' chicane at the then Turn 3 that was later eliminated for the 1989 event (making it a 3.968 km circuit until 2003). That chicane was a provisional measure to avoid an underground spring.

In 2003, the final sector was changed and the main straight was made around 200 meters longer to generate better racing chances in that section. A longer straight was added between corners 11 and 12 and the latter was made as a tight right-hander. The first corner was also tighter and is one of the current layout's best zones for wheel-to-wheel combat.

The lap records on the current layout (since 2003) are held by Lewis Hamilton from the 2020 event: 1:13.447 min (outright) and 1:16.627 min (Fastest Lap during the race).

2025 Hungarian Grand Prix - Tyres

HUNGARORING, HUNGARY - JULY 21: Oscar Piastri, McLaren MCL38, Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38, and Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20, race for the lead during the Hungarian GP at Hungaroring on Sunday July 21, 2024 in Budapest, Hungary. (Photo by Andy Hone / LAT Images)

The dry tyres for the 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix will be the C3 as P Zero White hard, C4 as P Zero Yellow Medium, and C5 as P Zero Red soft.

Pirelli's press release for the race explained: "The trio of slick tyre compounds is the same as last year: C3 as Hard, C4 as Medium and C5 as Soft. Up until last year, these would have been the softest tyres of all, but this year, the C6 was introduced. However, the new compound would be too extreme a choice for a track that exerts this level of energy density on the tyres for every lap.

"Although the actual loads are not that high in absolute terms, the fact that the lap is short means that it increases cumulatively and significantly with each lap.

Another factor that plays its part is the high temperature that usually accompanies the Hungarian weekend, leading to predominantly thermal degradation, exacerbated by the very dark track surface. In fact, last year’s race here saw the highest recorded track temperature of the season, at 58.6 °C."

In 2024

"The most popular strategy was the two-stop, running various combinations of the C3 and C4. The Medium performed best and 13 drivers chose it for the start. Of the remaining seven, four went with the Soft and three with the Hard.

"Yuki Tsunoda in the Racing Bulls, was the only driver to get to the chequered flag having made just one stop, while some pitted three times, running a short final stint on the Soft.

"The Aston Martin pair of Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll made two stops, using all three compounds, having gone their own way in terms of tyre management in free practice. The Canadian drove the longest stint (14 laps) on the Soft.

"The Hungaroring facility is currently undergoing a major transformation. Firstly, the paddock area was refurbished and this year, the main changes relate to the pit lane and the main straight, as well the pit complex and the main grandstand.

"The grid area and the pit lane have been resurfaced, using 860 tonnes of a specially designed mix, using bitumen with a higher softening point. The asphalt was laid with the aim of minimising undulations to provide a more consistent surface.

"The new surface has already been used when GT races were held here in early July and it will be analysed in the next few days to check grip levels.

"Usually, track evolution over the weekend is very high here, especially during the first two days. Graining could put in an appearance during Friday free practice, before gradually decreasing the more the track gets rubbered-in.

"High thermal degradation is a factor drivers will have to deal with even over a flying lap in qualifying on the Soft. If it is not looked after properly, it could create problems in the final two corners."

The minimum starting pressures for the tyres for the 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix will be 22.0 PSI (front) and 20.0 PSI (rear).

2025 Hungarian Grand Prix Weather Forecast

Friday, Aug 1st - FP1 & FP2

Conditions: Mostly sunny
Max. temperature: 29°C
Chance of rain: 25%

Saturday, Aug 2nd - FP3 & Qualifying

Conditions: A couple of morning showers and a heavy thunderstorm; otherwise, partly sunny
Max. temperature: 27°C
Chance of rain: 76%

Sunday, Aug 3rd - Race

Conditions: Partly sunny
Max. temperature: 24°C
Chance of rain: 14%

Who will be on the 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix Podium?

HUNGARORING, HUNGARY - JULY 21: Lando Norris, McLaren F1 Team, 2nd position, Oscar Piastri, McLaren F1 Team, 1st position, and the McLaren trophy delegate on the podium with the trophies during the Hungarian GP at Hungaroring on Sunday July 21, 2024 in Budapest, Hungary. (Photo by Glenn Dunbar / LAT Images)

McLaren achieved a controversial 1-2 in Hungary last year, with Lando Norris asked by his team to let Oscar Piastri through into the race lead.

Piastri won the race for his maiden win, but many criticised the team for not prioritizing Norris for the drivers' championship.

Still, Norris was ahead of Piastri only because the team's strategy (pitting earlier to cover against other teams) put him there.

Now, the situation is quite different, as Piastri has grown into a robotic race winner who appears unfazed by the competition right now. Another McLaren 1-2 is definitely on the cards, while there could be an interesting fight between Red Bull, Mercedes and Ferrari for the other podium spot.

The prediction for the Top 3 at the 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix is: 1. Oscar Piastri, 2. Lando Norris, 3. Max Verstappen.

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