Hungarian Grand Prix 2018
It’s no exaggeration when we say that this point of the Formula 1 season has become an exciting duel between Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton.
The two best drivers have shown us time and time again why they are at the top of the drivers’ standings and continue to dominate the track over the rest of the competition this season and the last.
With these two drivers consistently making the top of Formula 1 2018 news pages, there’s no wonder that they will also be looked upon to star in the brake-heavy track of the Hungaroring. The power of their engines matter little in this track, and their fates at the end of the race will heavily rely on their driving and tyre strategies for the match.
However, these two aren’t the only ones worth talking about in the competition. Kimi Raikkonen is making a lot of noise, Daniel Ricciardo will determine if the gamble he made in Germany will pay off, and the rest of the chasing pack have to fight hard for every point they get in the season.
The season might reach the tipping point after this race, so winning at Mogyorod is a must for both Ferrari and Mercedes.
Talking Points
If we want to know why the season has shaped up to be this way, we have to look upon what happened during the previous race at Hockenheim and pick apart what transpired in order to have a better understanding of the upcoming race.
The biggest story of that race easily had to be Vettel’s erratic crash during the 51st lap of the German GP. He was clearly in the lead and should have taken things more calmly despite the threat of rain. However, he buckled his chances of cementing this season’s championship as he oversteered and crashed out of the Grand Prix.
The Italian press, the home of the Scuderia, were understandably incensed with the German driver. Even former Formula 1 champion Nico Rosberg hit his countryman where it hurts, saying that the crash will become “a dark moment” in his successful career.
Things aren’t made any easier by the small issue surrounding Kimi Raikkonen. The bizarre chase the two had during the middle of the race cost Vettel some time that could have helped him seal away the victory from Hamilton. However, the Finn’s hard-headedness made him a polarizing figure among Ferrari fans.
This attitude of Raikkonen’s may have something to do with the rumours of Raikkonen moving to Sauber. There are also talks up and down the grapevine about Charles Leclerc joining the Prancing Horse to replace Raikkonen as the No 2 driver next season.
While chaos engulfs the Italians, Red Bull and Mercedes are doing pretty fine for themselves. The sacrifice Daniel Ricciardo took during the Hockenheim run-up have bore fruit so far: he led all cars during the first free practice. While he still crashed out during the last grand prix, the racing team should have fixed any issues that plagued the car at this point.
Meanwhile, Hamilton will be on a high after pulling off a wonderful victory at Mercedes’ home grand prix. He and Valtteri Bottas will be hoping that they will be able to cement their team’s lead in the constructor’s championship with another 1-2 finish here.
Haas and Renault will also be hoping to make more points in this race and improve upon the results of their previous races. Kevin Magnussen will be hoping to vindicate his errors during the last race that cost him precious points. Force India also hopes to duplicate their finish and have both Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon finish within the top ten.
History
Making accurate Formula 1 2018 predictions on the result of this race is a tough task.
The Hungaroring is a track the two race leaders are very familiar with. Vettel won two of the last three Hungarian Grand Prix, winning the 2015 race after starting third in the starting grid. Given Vettel’s superb driving skills, there should be no question as to whether he can win with the powerful Ferrari engine.
Lewis Hamilton also has a very successful career on the track. He first won this race as a McLaren driver in 2007 and has since won it four more times. He is the winningest driver on this track and should have no problem overcoming the intricacies of the track towards another victory.
Another interesting statistic: Mercedes-powered cars have won this race more times than cars with Ferrari engines in it. Ferrari engines have won this race only six times, easily dwarfed by Mercedes’ ten triumphs.
What are the odds?
If we look at the odds offered the SBOBET Motor Sport section, we can see that Sebastian Vettel is the outright favourite to win the race at 2.20. He has performed spectacularly over the last two races if we discount the giant error he made in Germany. If he keeps his head down and focuses on the race, winning the race should be easy.
Lewis Hamilton is at a surprisingly high 5.00. While he did win in Germany, many can discount the win as really lucky for Mercedes. Hamilton has to impress during the qualifiers if he wants to secure the win and extend his lead.
The other top racers also have interesting odds. Max Verstappen is the next favourite to win with 4.00; Daniel Ricciardo has 4.50; Kimi Raikkonen is at 12.00; Valtteri Bottas gets 21.00.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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