Mika Hakkinen – 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix preview

Mika’s Tip

With Red Bull Racing bringing an upgraded car to Budapest we have to expect another dominant performance from Max Verstappen and a 250th podium for the team. We should see another fascinating battle for podium finishes with Aston Martin and Ferrari challenging McLaren and Mercedes. I also think that a returning Daniel Ricciardo could surprise some people in the Alpha Tauri. Not with a podium, but in the points. That will feel like a victory for Red Bull’s second team.

Chaos 💥 at 💥 the 💥 start #HungarianGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/GPLOSk596H

— Formula 1 (@F1) July 19, 2023

Mika’s Memories

Hungary is so different from Silverstone and Spa-Francorchamps, the races either side of this event. It has often been described as being like a street circuit and its slow corners mean the teams run high downforce. You particularly need good grip and traction through the final corner if you want to try and overtake into Turn 1. There are other places you can go for the overtake, particularly using different lines into Turn 2, but T1 is the safest and best!

I have a very good memory of Hungary from early in my Formula 1 career. In 1992 I managed to finish 4th in my Lotus after qualifying 16th. With the McLaren drivers Ayrton Senna and Gerhard Berger being joined on the podium by Williams’ Nigel Mansell, that 4th place was a big moment for me and the small team at Lotus! That was my second 4th placed finish of the season, good steps which helped me prepare for the move to McLaren the following season.

I won in 1999 and 2000, the first time starting from pole position. The second win was a little more demanding because I qualified third but my team mate David Coulthard was a little slow at the start and I managed to get past Michael Schumacher into Turn 1. With fastest lap that was a good day at the office!

Championship Form

It’s such a fascinating season because, although Max is running away with the World Championship, there is so much action behind!

The McLaren upgrade has worked well and generated a lot of interest, particularly at Mercedes. Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri must have read my tip for Silverstone because they both drove brilliant races and to finish 2nd and 4th, showing fantastic progress with the car. Hungary is a very different type of track, so it will be really interesting to see whether McLaren’s performance can be repeated on a high downforce, low-speed corner circuit.

Fernando Alonso scored six podiums in the first eight races of the season but had to settle for 5th and 7th in Austria and the UK. Aston Martin is now 22 points behind Mercedes in the battle for second position in the teams’ championship. Fernando wants to get back on the podium and I think Hungary should be better suited to the Aston Martin’s strengths.

Ferrari finished 9th and 10th at Silverstone, the sixth car to cross the finish line. The famous Italian team needs to find a way back from their current position. Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc lie fifth and seventh in the World Championship for Drivers, while the team is fourth in the Constructors’ Championship. They need to ignore the pressure and focus on finding solutions.

Mercedes continues to work hard on their car and Lewis Hamilton’s podium in Silverstone was a good reward. Their Technical Director James Allison has admitted that the success of McLaren’s upgrade has surprised them, so they will be looking and working hard to achieve a further step in their goal of finishing second to Red Bull int he teams’ championship.

A word about Williams, a team which has gone through some very difficult years but enjoyed a brilliant result in Silverstone. Alex Albon’s 8th placed finish showed a great combination of driver speed and consistency, race craft, team strategy and a basically good car. More points for Williams this weekend? I would not count against that.