2022 F1 preview: Hungarian Grand Prix
Sean Clark previews the 2022 Hungarian Grand Prix, the last Formula 1 race before the summer break.
The 2022 Hungarian Grand Prix will close out the first half of the Formula 1 season for the second year in a row. The teams and drivers will have four weeks off before resuming at Spa on Aug. 28 for the Belgian Grand Prix.
If last year’s race and Saturday’s qualifying session was any indication, then the fans at the Hungaroring are in for a treat.
On Lap 1 of the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix, Valtteri Bottas had a slow start and ran into the back of Lando Norris, causing a chain reaction that took out Sergio Perez and damaged Max Verstappen’s car. Simultaneously, Lance Stroll collided with Charles Leclerc, causing both to DNF.
After every car pitted excpet for Lewis Hamilton, who restarted all by himself. Eventually, Esteban Ocon took advantage of the chaos and slotted himself into the lead. Hamilton worked his way through the field back toward the front after starting on pole, but was held up by Ocon’s teammate Fernando Alonso toward the end of the race.
Without Hamilton breathing down his neck, Ocon took home his maiden F1 victory. After runner-up Sebastian Vettel’s runner-up finish was disaqualified due to not having enough fuel, Hamilton came home to take P2 and Carlos Sainz P3. It allowed Hamilton to retake the championship lead over Verstappen heading into the break.
Saturday continued the drama from last year as George Russell stole pole from Sainz at the last moment to take his first career pole in F1, topping his P2 qualification during the 2021 Belgian Grand Prix. Not only is it the first-career pole for Russell, but its the first pole for Mercedes in 2022.
Last week during the French Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton and Russell took advantage of Charles Leclerc’s wreck to finish P2 and P3, the most points Mercedes has earned in a race this season and the first time one of their drivers finished in the top two.
Verstappen limped home to P9 in last year’s race after driving with a damaged car. He’ll begin the Hungarian GP in P10 after having issues with his DRS during Q3. His Red Bull Racing teammate, Perez, fared no better as he struggled to get a good flying lap in Q2, starting outside the top 10 for the first time since the Canadian Grand Prix (P11).
Sainz and Leclerc will start second and third. Leclerc is hoping for a bounce-back race after crashing out of the French GP and all but taking him out of the World Driver’s Championship race (trails Verstappen by 63 points). Sainz is starting on the front row for the first time since translating his pole at Silverstone into his maiden F1 win back on July 3.
Lando Norris will roll out in P4, his highest start since finishing P5 during the Australian Grand Prix. He is the only driver outside the top three teams (Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes) to achieve a podium spot in 2022.
Ocon returns to the site of his first F1 victory at Hungaroring one year ago. He started P8 in that race, improving it in 2022 with a P5 result in Q3. Alonso will join him on Row 3 as he’ll start P6.
Bottas and Daniel Ricciardo will make up the eighth and ninth starting positions on the grid.
The huge news in Formula 1 this week was four-time champion Sebastian Vettel announcing his retirement on Instagram. His last race in F1 will be the season finale in Abu Dhabi on Nov. 20, opening up a new seat for the 2023 starting grid.
For now, the German driver is still racing and he’ll begin his final Hungarian GP in P18.
If you are watching in the United States, coverage for the 2022 Hungarian Grand Prix in Budapest will begin at 9:00 a.m. EST. The race will span 70 laps with each being 2.72 miles long. You can catch the race on ESPN.
Starting grid:
Track layout:
Global start times:
